Freedom from Addiction Through Grace [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright. The wall was a gift from God because is the revelation of God and therefore the law is God has spoken that with his own breath, and therefore it is inspired and it is by the law is not an one that's pastor welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new life.

I'm excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series called unbleached is presented at renewal the church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program today to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. You can find out more about it and even receive a copy of your very own for your donation this month to Alan Wright ministry.

So as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer@pastor.org find out more about it and make your request or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 begin our website pastor Alan.org. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright there is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. And that good news is liberty from bondage want to show you this is a good thing you think about what real freedom is in this series we call unbleached and today we're going to get a deeper look at this from Romans chapter 7, but I want to and sort I want to begin sort of from ending and that is by jumping to the very end of Romans seven and then the triumphant message of freedom that comes by the spirit and by the grace of God in Romans eight, so much as look starting at room and it it Romans 725. The second part of that verse.

So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law sin. Romans 81 there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death, for God is done with the law, weakened by the flesh could not do. By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, the condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit in order to be ordained in our denomination.

The candidate has to appear before this body would call Presbytery, its pastors and elders and they need to gather and they examined the new candidate and so there is a process you go through this pretty rigorous while the process includes at the very beginning when they began to have their examination on what we call the floor poster. You start by giving your testimony and the testimony is a beautiful time. Someone telling their story in the Lord.

But one occasion many years ago there was a young minister came to be examined and he said something Anil his testimony.

I never forgot those on the funny things ever heard his name was Howard Finkel and you have to know that Howard spoke like this. He in every day conversation he he was very careful about his enunciation. Even if you are having a cup of coffee in the hallway. Howard would speak like this, so it's kind of funny. Just listening to them anyway and he gets up there and he eats his turn in the microphone to tell his testimony and he begins like this. My mother wanted when I was young.

My mother wanted me to be a doctor and my father wanted me to be a lawyer but I chose a different path and decided to be a drug addict.

Instead, I couldn't stop laughing. And the reason is not, of course them anyway. My making light of addiction or those who struggle with addiction that is not what was funny at all. What was funny.

Of course, is it it seems ridiculous to say, I chose to be a drug addict because on the one hand, we would say nobody chooses to be a drug addict right you you now is not exactly right yet on the other hand, nobody else chose it for you right so it's it is one of those things, like all besetting sin are addictions are complicated and I want today to walk us through Romans seven and back into this incredible triumphant trumpeting the good news in Romans eight so that we can see in many ways the enemy of the biblical notion of freedom that we have been learning over a number of weeks because in the culture around us. The idea of freedom. Essentially goes like this be free. Don't let anybody tell you what to do or who you are or what you should do any such restraints and just look inside of you and do whatever you want to do as long as it doesn't hurt someone else. That's freedom. Don't make too many commitments keep your options open and keep the way brought in front of you so you have many many different choices and this is what freedom looks like what we been seen from the biblical perspective is that the scriptural notion of freedom is entirely the opposite, that instead the scriptural picture of freedom, is that you will be most free.

Not when you cast off all authority and all restraint, but when you learn the sweetness of real submission. Submission to God who loves you.

Who knows you who has the best for you that ultimately God designed us not to be free when we are in a mode of rejecting authority, but to be free when we understand authority and are submitted to. We've seen that that the big J to this freedom biblically as something that Jesus has his narrow any speaking of himself as the one Savior of the world. So it looks like it's very narrow, but on the other side of it. This gate opens up to expansive life we seen that though it might look like that having less commitment is more freeing than actually more commitment is the avenue to real freedom and today we're going to see through Romans seven and through some plain talk about addiction in the sea. This picture on display for.

Let's imagine that there is some teenage young man who decides he's had enough of the parental constraints and rules at home and so he leaves home runs away and wants to be free. Pretty soon let's say that he meet someone who introduces him to heroin and he decides to give it a try.

I was shocked to read this week that one in four people ever try heroin.

Get addicted to it. 25% of the time so I take heroin there to be an addict. It is according to addiction center of the most addictive substance on earth as an opioid.

It is part of this class of drug that has now brought an a nationwide crisis for us. The opioid overdoses have risen so dramatically that it is now the leading cause of death of Americans under age 50 and you can just see it is rising and rising. It's a crisis and fight there so many drug overdoses that for the last two years. For the first time in a long time. The life expectancy of an American, on average, has decreased because of so many overdoses and let's just say this young man who wanted to move out because you want to be free to do whatever he felt like doing now has become addicted to heroin and the picture you have their is of someone who want to be free to try an experiment and yet now finds himself in complete bondage to a substance that is that is so hard to escape was interesting if we were to be just have a moment of unvarnished honesty in this room which we we won't do and I would never do this but and say how many of you have either been addicted to something struggle with an addiction now have someone in your family who has been addicted to something or very good friend and it impacted your life. I would bet it would be.

That's teaching today's important series. This is what the stats I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's times and have compassion on his dwellings. The city will be rebuilt on holy lands and the palace will stand in its proper place as timeless wakes up in Jeremiah 30 the heart of God loves to us the way to time cities would often be read out on top of the ruins of the former city, and he said he would stand higher with social walls and a greater perspective pastor.

Our night in Seattle and out of the billing skill discover how God can build your life gloriously out of yesterday's disappointments you need to get to Alan Wright Ministries today listen to Pastor Alan's messages, and attractive.

See through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. Call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor and dialect. Today's teaching now continues here once again is a want to talk some today about addiction from the perspective of Romans seven, but what I want to do primarily is trying to expose what Paul is saying in Romans seven about the battle between the sin nature. What he calls the flash and the spirit and show you that this whole matter is complex and yet there is a liberating simplicity that comes from the gospel. It is, it is a kind of of of Scripture exposition that if you look deeply into it will nourish and help you and your understanding of how to help others and for some, I believe it is an opportunity for freedom for deliverance. Let's start with this. The context of Romans seven really is everything that Paula's been saying in Romans chapter 1 through seven, especially in these chapters 5, six and seven were Paul has been essentially explaining that the law was a gift from God because it is the revelation of God and therefore the law is good so everything that God has spoken he has breathed out with his own breath, and therefore it is inspired and it is good but the law does not enable anyone to quit sending in fact what Paul is been arguing especially in chapters 5, six and seven is that the law not only doesn't empower you, but it actually incites sin in this way it accentuates your sinfulness and highlights it. It's like if I said here's the law, do not think about a pink polka dotted elephant. Whatever you do don't think about a pink polka dotted elephant for health you already broken that I did broke at myself. I would just fix anything polkadot elephant. But if I'd never said don't think about a pink polka dotted elephant.

Then there's almost 0 chance that anybody throughout this entire message would think about a pink polka dotted elephant.

So, in the same way pauses the law entered deuced revelation from God. But in so doing, it pointed out how sinful we are. It did not empower us and so the law serves.

Paul says in Romans one through seven.

This purpose to show you your sin and that you need a Savior to liberate you and so in that sense the law is good and all bills to this incredible crescendo and Romans eight verse one, you need to know there is scholarly disagreement about what we gonna look at in Romans seven as to whether or not it is Paul speaking about his pre-Christian life or Paul speaking about his life after you been born again and filled with the spirit. I waffle and am undecided because there are some things argue in each direction.

But here's the thing that's important as we lay the foundation before we dig into Romans seven and that is that at the very least.

What you must understand as a Christian is that you are no longer labeled a center but your labeled a saint because you're in a new category as a Christian, you're now holy to the Lord, you belong to God, and that's what it means to be holy, so you are a holy one, which is translated in the New Testament as St. so you are a saint. If you're Christian but you still sin because you still have remnants of a sin nature and part of Christian growth is learning to live by the Spirit and by the grace of God rather than trying to live out of the flash and the sin nature and and just as you grow more and more I think one of the things God will do it be a great blessing to you is you will increasingly hold you accountable and increasingly expose your own send you very quickly because the more you walk with him. A kinder and kinder. You notice the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If I feel like I can get away with anything. So I was in Texas this week I rented the car and when I was renting at it it it looked like as I was renting this link, though the best price I could get a, regular car or a sports car the same price. It said it would be a Mustang or something like that and I similarly break. Although driving around Mustang. But when I got the rental car. They took him show me the brightest red is shiniest Camaro you have ever seen. I was very worried the whole time because in the first place. Everything about this car was one giant blind spot is a sliver of the windshield. I guess they figure you're just going faster than everybody so you don't have to see anybody else on the road but is not very conducive for driving around Dallas city traffic on the interstates and saw the worry about that.

But what is really worried about as I had heard that the police are more likely to give a ticket to some minor shiny sports car, but I wasn't really about worry about that. I just felt so much like an imposter that I was afraid as I get pulled and be given a ticket for impersonating a cool person is to make sure my baby a citation here because I know you're a pastor and you have no business driving a Camaro like this. But anyway, I drove around and then Pastor Chris came out and joined me for the day and 1/2 of strategy meetings and so I'm driving him around in the Camaro.

I was very glad to finally be making the home stretch to turn his car and without a scratch on it and I was getting closer and closer to the Alamo rental car return and all of a sudden in front of me on a very busy four lanes of traffic delaying the right healing Ozzie and was suddenly obstructed. I can't remember if it was a work vehicle or a stalled vehicle and also and I had to stop and pretty soon, traffic was piling up behind me and I'm looking in the rearview mirror. Remember, major blind spot also and I'm trying to find that moment I got plenty of speed using out around into the left-hand lane.

As soon as there's an opening but had to wait a long time.

Finally, there came a small opening and raising out and the lady in the big SUV behind me pulled out before I could pull out the lie. Don't you hate it when people do that she knew I had to pull out and I was first in line and Siebel that I had to wait a long time after that I was so hot that matter to criticize.

It is a good thing I don't have a gun right now and so we go pulling into the car rental place I pastor Chris's laugh answer what they said that the lady right there pulling it in front of you know, so we turn the car in and we did on the shuttle bus to take us over to the Dallas love Field airport and princes down shuttle one CIC seats over from him, and guess who sits down right in between us. The lady and it turned out much to my conviction that she was in a hurry for her plane and she was very nice lady. In fact, he was nice enough. See laugh this summer.

Chris's morning jokes. You know she's nice.

He lives in the juvenile jokes and laugh at him and I realize in the midst of riding over there. Of course, that though it was rude of her to pull out instead of letting me come out that my murderous hatred towards her was a worse sin is saying is that I feel like that as a gift from the Lord to me. I Alan this is the person you're get right to hate another sitting next year if somebody's soccer mom and she needs get home and so part of what we going to see in Romans seven is that no matter how long you walk with the Lord you still got the struggle. And Paul is going to make that plane for us. So let's just dive in here to Romans chapter 7 starting at verse 15. Romans seven verse 15 he writes before I do not understand my own actions.

For I do not do what I want but I do the very thing I hate not to do what I do not want. I agree with the law that it is good what Paul saying here is that if you say I don't want to covet anymore. It makes me miserable when I sit here and compare myself to other people and I look at what others have that I don't have and I meditate on that. It makes me miserable and I know it's wrong and I don't want to do that what Paul saying is that very thought process proved that the law do not covet is good. Something inside of you knows that it's good and you're agreeing that it is verse 17. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me, for I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh from the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out in this pretty much describes the struggle that we all experience. Yes I know there are those unusual cases where perhaps someone has a conscience. This just been seared or someone is just so bent on evil but for most people. Most of the time it's just like there's a desire to do what's right, but no ability to carry it out. This is not a form of excuse or denial, of course, but just saying that there's a sin nature, and there some part of me is able to do what is right. Right. Today's teaching freedom from addiction through grace. It's part of our series called unleashed in Allen is back with us and distribute assuring a parting good news thought for the day. In just a moment. This is what facts I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's times and have compassion on his dwellings. The city will be rebuilt on Hulu and Harris will stand in its proper place as timeless wakes from Jeremiah 30 for the heart of God loves to restore way to time cities would often be rebuilt on top of the ruins of the former city, and he said he would stand higher with central walls and a greater perspective.

Pastor Mike Seattle and out of the rulings how God can build your life gloriously, yesterday's disappointments to get to Alan Wright Ministries today listen to Pastor Alan's messages and attractive CD album through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership, six 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website Pastor Rowan.work blessing your life, discover God's grace filled vision for assigning rights of free grace and encouragement. Allen writes a daily blessing. It's free. Just a click away. Pastor I got away you with Alan Wright in our teaching freedom from addiction through grace.

Now I'm a believer that that even if we don't have one that may seem obvious or the. The addiction of the day they were talking about in the news cycle that I strongly believe we all struggle with addiction of some kind and some kind and conniving. Some people it's a chemical addiction and it's very clear. Others can get addicted to certain behaviors or certain people or even certain patterns of living is all all of that and that this message is I think one that so important because is not a message about managing the addiction is about the actual transformation that can happen in our hearts that gets at the rear roots of addiction and I think therefore it's just so important to say that the radical acceptance that we have in Jesus and the help of the Holy Spirit that we are not merely limited to psychological principles when it comes to the transformation of our addictions and there is hope for every single person, no matter how serious the addiction. There is hope for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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