Luke chapter 11 and verse 24, and we'll read down to verse 28. So a short reading today, but this is the word of the Lord. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, this is the Lord Jesus Christ that's speaking, when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, he walketh through dry places seeking rest. and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came, whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Amen. May the Lord bless to us this reading from his word.

We might think that this is a fairly obscure and abstract and difficult passage and I confess I would agree with you if you thought that. The Lord Jesus had recently spoken of the overthrow of the strong man armed. and we're still on that passage, that portion of the Lord's ministry recorded in this chapter where the Lord exercised a demon, cast out a devil from a man who was possessed, a dumb man, and then speaks about the house or the castle of the strong man that is overthrown by the stronger man. And this is what the Lord had been speaking about immediately before these verses that we've read today. How that he, as the stronger man, the God-man, has overcome Satan and dispossessed him of his property. So the victory of Christ is what was in view in these previous verses, and certainly this is a victory that Christ won on the cross. We often think about the victory of Christ on the cross appropriately, so that's a good thing to think about. But also we should note that by his miracles throughout his ministry, the Lord Jesus was all the time ensuring that Satan and his kingdom of devils knew for sure that they were inferior to him and subject to his authority, subject to his power.

And thus, for example, when legion was cast out of the man who dwelt amongst the tombs, the demons pleaded with the Lord to be permitted to enter a herd of swine. because the power was all Christ's. Likewise, when this individual, this dumb man was brought to the Lord, he rid that man of the demon. So these were pictures of, I mean, they were miracles, but they were lessons to the devils that they were subject to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And in our verses today, the Lord is speaking about an unclean spirit. And I think he's speaking about Satan, who definitely is an unclean spirit. And he is speaking about Satan being expelled from his abode. Now, this May, have an historical element to it. And I just want to share this with you. I found it interesting as I was doing a little bit of reflection and research about this passage, and Dr. John Gill makes this comment, and I thought I would share it with you, that it may describe the effect of Christ's ministry upon, so we're back thinking about this strong man keeping his house and then a stronger man coming, that it may describe the effect of Christ's ministry upon the devil's stronghold amongst the Jews during the Lord's ministry.

Many of the people to whom the Lord preached, many of the people who were benefited by his miracles, were clearly touched by his power. Nevertheless, they were not savingly converted. Let me give you an example of that. I do not think that all of those 5,000 who were fed with the bread and fishes were converted as a result of eating the bread and the fish, even although the miracle was performed in their presence, even although they benefited insofar as their natural hunger was satiated, we cannot simply assume that they were all spiritually regenerated as a result of their benefit from that miracle.

And in that sense, Satan, the unclean spirit, might be said to have fled from the presence of the Saviour in the same way as these demons from legion asked to be cast into the swine, into a desert place, and perhaps that desert place has a reference to the Gentiles, so that while the Lord was active in his ministry, Satan was cowering, aware that he was in the presence of the Son of God. And that may well have continued at least for a while when we hear about many thousands being added to the church in the early apostolic age.

However, that effect did not always continue. And we discovered that many of the Jews who were affected by the Lord's ministry experienced a rather superficial reformation rather than true regeneration and the unclean spirit, Satan, was able in time as the gospel moved out of Jerusalem and spread into Judea and ultimately to the ends of the earth to return amongst the Jews and take up residence again, as it were, in the hearts of the Jewish people, even to the bringing of others with him, finding them willing hosts by reason of their self-righteous blending of law and gospel as they sought to Judaise the Christian faith during perhaps the time of Paul. And I simply mentioned that and I've enlarged a little bit upon what Gil said, but he was the one that triggered that thought. And there may be an element of truth in such a thought. But I think the application for us today might be a comparison in the lives of some who are genuinely affected by or I shouldn't say genuinely, let me say rather really, really affected by religious sentiment which falls short of conversion, spiritual conversion. Let me explain what I mean.

Many people commit themselves to the Christian faith. Many people commit themselves to a moral code and an imaginary spiritual life. They pray, they read their Bible, they attend church, but for whom this conversion is not a true spiritual renewal, but a mere reformation of character and conduct. I suspect that we all know people about whom we could say they live outwardly upright lives. They appear in many ways to be fine examples of Christian believers but their doctrine is nonsense. Their theology is contrary to the word of God. They have an outward goodness, an outward appearance of religion, and yet if you speak to them about what they actually believe, it's a hundred miles from the biblical gospel.

And these may be likened to this person of whom the Lord is speaking in these verses. They may be likened to a man who reforms his life, expels his demons, sweeps and garnishes, improves and enhances his house to make it look good, to make it appear presentable, and yet is never truly saved. It was cleaned out but the Holy Spirit never moved in. And such an individual cannot prevent Satan returning with an even more, so the Lord speaks about bringing seven other devils, but cannot prevent Satan returning with an even more deep-seated resistance against the gospel. because now they consider themselves to be at peace with God. Now they believe themselves that they are saved. Now they spend their time with good people and they convince one another that they're all heaven-bound and they imagine themselves to have sufficient righteousness as to impress God and earn his favour.

Men and women who know themselves to be sinners might feel themselves in need of a saviour, but those who feel themselves to be in no need of a physician for their soul, well, the last state of that man is worse than the first. And I think that we can link that thought with what is now said in verse 27 about this woman who cries out and speaks to the Lord about the blessedness of his mother. I'm sure Luke is expecting us to do that with just the proximity in which these two verses are placed together.

Here is a woman so taken with the miracle of the devil being cast out and this dumb man speaking, and lightly so impressed by the words of the Lord that followed this miracle, that she cannot resist crying out in praise of the Lord. And yet, It by no means appears clear that the Lord considers the woman to be one of his followers. She shouts out to his praise, but the Lord's reaction is a contradiction. She seems to be an example of a person more in love with the idea of Jesus than of Jesus himself. she extols the mother who carried and raised such a man as this. And it's interesting that a whole religion has developed this theme of the blessedness of the mother of Christ, especially when the saviour so roundly rejects the notion that this woman expressed.

And that's not to despise Mary, the mother of Jesus, by any means. She was blessed indeed. Scripture says so. And yet true religion, true faith in you and in me has nothing to do with the blessedness of Christ's mother. Personal blessedness flows from trusting in Mary's son, and we don't dwell in any way on the Blessed Virgin Mary, we say rather with the Lord, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.

Now natural religion as opposed to spiritual, natural feelings of religious interest can come for many reasons. Some people are cultural Christians. They've been brought up to go to church and they identify with the Christian faith. It's where their friends are. It's where their social group meets. It's become a way of life to them. But they've never been saved. Some people have what they imagine is a spiritual encounter, some strange experience, and they equate that with conversion, but it isn't of the Lord. Some people, just like the company at the church, they enjoy the music and the singing, or they identify with the history, but they've not been born again from above.

And I tell you, It's fearful to think on these things. I believe there are millions, millions of people who go to church and call themselves Christians who have never heard the true gospel and never heard the word of God or kept it. And that is what the Lord Jesus Christ says consists of true blessedness. This woman was enthusiastic, but was she saved? And religious fervour can reach great intensity and yet fall short of saving grace. Many heard the Lord Jesus Christ and marvelled at the miraculous things that he did and the gracious things that he uttered that flowed from his mouth but there the matter ended. While true blessedness, true happiness, spiritual peace and joy in trusting Christ comes from hearing the gospel and believing it. Or as Jesus says in our verses, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.

Let me just touch on this for a moment or two. This little phrase, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it, it's an extra beatitude of the Lord Jesus. The Lord, we speak about the beatitudes in Matthew chapter five. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are they that mourn. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Those are the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 in the Sermon on the Mount. Well, here's another one to add to that precious collection. Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.

There are many who hear words spoken in churches. but have no ears to hear the spiritual message contained in those words. No ear for the quickening, life-giving work of the Spirit. The effectual call of grace is a divine act, and those who have heard and believed are blessed indeed to have been quickened by the spiritual resurrection that comes from Christ, who is the resurrection and the life.

And I just want to leave you with three quick thoughts about this blessedness of which the Lord Jesus Christ speaks when he says, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. First is this. It is the hearing of faith. This is the hearing of faith. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 10, And the Lord Jesus Christ in his own ministry, He was told that his mother and his brethren were outside the house and they wanted to speak to him. And the Lord says, just a minute, my mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it. And Paul tells the Galatians that grace comes and we receive the Holy Spirit by the hearing of faith.

Now that initial hearing of faith is a spiritual work effected in a dead soul by which new life, Christ's life, is implanted and we are born again, or born anew. And thereafter, the hearing of faith, well, it's what we're doing now. It's the refreshing, the nourishing, the upbuilding, the comforting truth of Christ that we obtain from hearing Him preached in the Gospel. And sometimes the Scripture speaks of Christ Himself as the living Word, the essential Word. So for example, in John 1, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. and the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

There, this word of God is the essential son of God, the God-man, and he is called the eternal word, the word of God. And sometimes that phrase, the word of God, has reference to the gospel. the gospel that is preached. And it is a legitimate distinction that we make. But remember this, the gospel in itself that we preach is Christ's message. It's the message of Christ and it is Christ himself.

I think that there are many preachers who stand to preach each Lord's day. but it remains a question if they preach Christ at all. Paul says, Here's another thing that we can consider when we think about this word of God that is to be kept. It is the Word of God. This message isn't about me. It isn't about the preacher. It isn't even about you to whom it is preached. It's God's Word. And I fear that too many preachers make the Gospel to be about how it makes us feel. No. God, the Holy God, the Creator God, the Sustainer of all things, to whom we all are answerable and accountable, has spoken in His Word. And when the Word of Truth comes to us, it comes to be heard. It comes to be believed. It comes to be obeyed.

When it accuses us of sin, we are guilty. When it declares the way of salvation by the death of a substitute, it is to be believed. When it is mercifully applied to reveal Christ to us, he is to be trusted. John says, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

And then finally, just this point and we're done. When God's word implants faith and gives us grace, it is to be kept. This is what it means. We are to keep that word. We are to value it and cherish it. We are to desire it. We are to long after it. We are to look forward to hearing it. If we have Christ, We have the best that God can give and we have everlasting happiness in him and we shall never lose that.

But we should exercise ourselves week by week, year by year, day by day and minute by minute to remember how privileged we are in possessing the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only is it to be valued and cherished, it's to be trusted and believed. Don't fail to apply the many practical comforts and encouragements that the gospel of Christ brings to the church. The gospel isn't only for unbelievers. I could make a case that it isn't primarily for unbelievers. It's our gospel and it speaks to our heart. It soothes our troubles and it ministers to our souls.

And that word of God in its being kept is to be preached and proclaimed. So let us always endeavour to distinguish a true gospel ministry and support a true gospel fellowship. The finest legacy that we can have in this world is that we laboured together for Christ in the cause of the gospel of free and sovereign grace. May the Lord bless these thoughts to us. Amen.