1

2/8/2003
“A Holiday In Hell”

Matt,12:38-45 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a
miraculous sign from you." He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But
none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the
belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men
of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching
of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this
generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one
greater than Solomon is here. 43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking
rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house
unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than
itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it
will be with this wicked generation.

1. the devil is a master at false advertising. ILL: Adam and Eve {the tree}, Achan {Jericho spoils}, Gehazi
{Nathan’s garments and silver}, rich ruler {wealth}, Demos {the world}, Judas {thirty pieces of silver}.

Pt,1 A House Warning

A} the man in our texts, he is not a bad or evil man / this person had an experience with God / he has been
delivered, not only delivered but greatly improved. Texts: house is swept / in order, But he is EMPTY.

B} we all no about emptiness as sinners, but this is talking about an empty believer.

C} this person as been improved, he is in his right mind / he can think / make decisions / hold a job / Etc.

D} Texts: this man is not doing bad things but he is not doing anything for God ether.

E} there is more to being a Christian than not doing bad things.

Scripture: Jesus didn’t say Go into all the world and don’t smoke / drink, But Go into all the world and do
something for God.

2. It’s not about what we don’t do, But what we do Do.

A} we need an engaged lifestyle in the things of God / church.

B} Texts: this man is not immoral / wicked But he is not doing anything for God.

C} “There are two kinds of Sin” CO-MISSION: Doing what is wrong OMISSION: Not doing what is
right.

D} emptiness is the focus of what Jesus is going after here, emptiness puts a person is in real danger.

E} Texts: Jesus is making known to us the peril / danger of an empty heart and the danger is one of
demonic invasion.
 2

3. Jesus says the person with emptiness in his life is an invitation to unwelcome occupants.

ILL: home left vacant: in time Mildew / Fungus / mold / mice work there way in “why?” invitation because of
emptiness.

A} Jesus said this is the danger of being empty….it’s not that this individual is doing wrong / doing bad
things / he’s not behaving sinfully. {But empty, and emptiness is worse}

B} But because of emptiness of heart and life there is a venerability to the powers of darkness, and that
emptiness is his great danger.

Empty: Scholazo: to take a holiday / to be at leisure {the word vacation comes from the word vacate}

C} Jesus is giving us a picture of a man that went on a vacation and never came back.

D} does this appeal to us {Yes} we are holiday minded people.

E} what has happened to this man is what can happen to everyone of us because we like holidays, time off.

4. for many people to be able to take a holiday for life is paradise, but we need to understand the human
psyche….Psychology proves that boredom / to have no responsibility in life leads to ill health of mind /
body and soul.

ILL: Homeless people: some have hard-luck stories, but 99% are like this because they want to be….they say,
I am going to live off the government / sleep / drink / do drugs, most of them are the most perverted / filthy /
demon possessed individuals you will ever meet. {they are not alone, they have taken a permanent
vacation so things have moved in}

A} the devil is a master at painting huge travel posters that reads uninvolved Christian life. {it is a
paradise}

B} why do Christians say things like, I just want to live for God and that’s it, why do they say that?
Because they have been to the devils travel agency and he showed them a permanent holiday and it all
looks good to them.

C} the devil says that you need a well deserved break…you have been faithful for a long time, pull away
from ministry for awhile / withdraw for a time, and many Christians go for it.

Texts: this man took a vacation, a well-deserved break, but he never came back.

D} when people begin to get empty in there Christian life they start complaining about where they are /
the church there in / what they are doing.

E} the problem is not the city / church, but it is the will of God….you hate to come to church because
when you come to church and get around people that are sold out for God it is a constant reminder to you of
what you should be.
 3
Empty: this word comes from the word Scholay, which is were we get the word scholar from, it means to
withhold oneself from work through going to school.

5. pre-petal student, they don’t work, but there constantly in school {why} because school is better than real
life…school is not real life, it is preparation for life.

Texts: we have a picture of a empty life…he is empty because he has never applied what he has learned.

A} people come to church like this all the time, they come to church but they have no intentions of
making any application “this is a dangerous place to be”

ILL: over the phone sales: my ears are hearing but my mind is not engaging because I don’t want what they are
selling….this is how many people are when they come to church, hear a sermon but in there heart they do not
have any intention of applying what they have heard {especially if it is uncomfortable / sacrificial}

Texts: this man wasn’t always this way, you were not always that way….at one time you were sold out / on
fire / couldn’t wait until outreach or another service.

B} but now you have a different spirit, self-centered / lack discipline…you use to contend for the things of
God but now you are unengaged.

C} you don’t go to the clubs / your not out sinning, but you are no longer occupied with the things of God.

Pt,2 worse than at first

Texts: greater than Jonah / Solomon is here and you are not Listening.

D} Look at the setting in which Jesus tells the Parable….Nineveh, as wicked as they were, they repented in
sackcloth and ashes at the preaching of Jonah.

E} the Queen of Sheba, she has extreme responsibility, she was a Queen with enormous duties and a busy
schedule yet she did not let this stop her from seeking the truth. {months of travail}

6. if you do not begin to apply the truth that you are hearing this is your lot / you will be invaded by another
spirit.

A} it doesn’t matter what you were 2 years ago, you might have had an experience with God, you are not
that person anymore, now you are no longer engaged.

Texts: 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept
clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go
in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.

B} the devil doesn’t play, Scripture: he is out to kill / still and destroy, he is seeking whom he may
devour.

C} the devil loves religious people that are to busy for Jesus, to busy to get involved / to busy to serve / to
busy for prayer / to busy to do right / to busy for church.
 4
Acts 5:1-5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With
his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the
apostles' feet. 3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the
Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you
before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing
such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.

D} Ananias and Sapphira lied to God, it was not the first time they violated God, the bible says that Satan
filled there heart meaning they were empty.

E} Compromise comes at a great price…..compromise starts off very small, missing church every now
and than at first / than prayer starts dropping off / than giving / than fellowship.

7. at this point any attempt by the church to reach you is contempt….and before you know it your worse than
you ever were….your avoiding people in the church / lying to yourself / lying to God / Etc.

A} it’s not how you start, but how you finish that counts.

Rev, they left their first love, they became worse than they ever thought they could be.

Texts: Satan will come back to see if you are serious / involved / occupied, if not he will take the opportunity to
invade and he will bring with him a lot more than what you can handle.

Pt,3 the power of the occupied life

B} we need to get full of God, Praise and worship in good, but there is more than that, this man in out texts
needed to return to involvement.

Prov 14:4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant
harvest.

C} restore the laborer and the stall will be full, no laborer, and the stall is empty.

D} if you are going to be full, then you need to return to labor.

E} this goes against our grain, but God’s ways are not our ways…God said you reap what you sow, if you
are going to reap spiritual things you must first sow to the spirit.

ILL: Toilets on a plane: two things happen, light goes on inside and light sign {occupied} comes on, on the out
side door.

8. at that point it is your space, people are lining up to get in, but guess what it is occupied, they might be
irritable / glaring at the door. But they cannot get in {it’s occupied}

A} are you feeling tormented / tempted / saying what can I do? Occupy, the moment you occupy yourself
with the things of God, a little sign goes up, and those other things cannot get in.

B} the moment you say to God, I am recommitting my life to a full on Christian life, there can be 1000
devils lined up but there is a sign that says Occupied.
 5

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water {the world} will be thirsty again, 14 but
whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring
of water welling up to eternal life.

C} God has got great things for you, but you are going to have to Occupy yourself with the things of God
to find out what that is.

Matt 4:18-20 Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their
nets and followed him.

D} as they occupied themselves with the calling Jesus did the rest.

E} I believe there are people here right now, your not behaving sinfully / running the streets acting
crazy….{But} your not involved.

9. there are others here, at one time you were on fire for God, involved, but today you can’t find the time…
the devil is going to come back around.

A} we need to be occupied with the things of God.