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February 11, 2022 2:00 am
Addictive behavior is widespread and interferes with life responsibilities. In the message "Jesus Loves Addicts" from the series Jesus Loves People, Skip shares about the good news Jesus has for addicts.
This teaching is from the series Pastor Skip's Top 40.
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In first Corinthians, Paul says all things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything that's another description of something Masters you you you keep doing it over and over seas. Can you stop addiction is always a present danger posed by our own nature. The Bible calls of the flesh because of Christ. You can have victory over temptation. That doesn't mean it'll be easy. You must be resilient and steadfast. Today we continue our countdown scripts top 40 messages on the connect with Skip Heitzig YouTube channel number 11 spot is his message Jesus loves addicts Skip explains the message of freedom Jesus as everyone who's ever felt the change of sin in their life before we begin to tell you about an exciting opportunity you have to encounter the roots of your faith in the land of the Bible. Skip has lived in Israel, and lead tours.
Many many times curious to invite you. One is next to her. You know there's always something new to see and experience in Israel and I'm so excited to let you know that I'm taking another tour group to Israel in 2022 urine for an incredible time as we travel throughout Israel and experience the culture that's so unique that country will start on the Mediterranean Sea and head north.
Seeing places like Caesarea and Nazareth to see if Galileo in the Jordan River will spend several days in and around Jerusalem and see the temple mount Calvary, the garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of olives and much more. This remarkable itinerary is made richer with times of worship, Bible study, and lots of fellowship.
Now I've been to Israel and number of times over the years and I can honestly say that visiting the places where the events of the Scriptures unfolded were Jesus lived taught and healed.
It just never gets old.
I can't wait to see you in his start planning and saving now to tour Israel with Skip Heitzig information, inspiration, cruises.com/C a VQ that's inspiration cruises.com/C a VQ chapter 4 and Matthew 11 for today stay so let's join Skip my name is Davey I'm an alcoholic at the title of a book came out several years ago that dealt with teenage alcoholism.
It featured a 15-year-old boy who was an alcoholic. He was addicted. He denied that he had a need until someone else in his life. Another young girl named Maxine was also an alcoholic and was experiencing convulsions because of alcoholism. She wanted help. He did not want help. Again, these are kids who are dealing with the topic of teenage alcoholism.
I want to talk to you today about addictions. Some of you might be thinking why on earth would you want to talk about addictions from the pulpit in church while for two reasons. First reason is because it's not talked about in church. Churches usually don't deal with the topic they don't deal with the issue of their good marginalizing it and condemning certain behaviors but not dealing with in a second reason is because sin is never private and always affects other people emotionally, spiritually and even physically. When David's sin against Bathsheba was down and it could even be seen as a sexual addiction.
It seemed that in his life. It didn't just affect David and it didn't just affect Bathsheba but the long tentacles of his sin reached further into the life of her husband Uriah who lost his life because of it to the life of Joab.
David's general who is jaded because of it and even David's own children who had that father doing that thing as a role model for them which ruined a lot of their own future relationships is never ever done privately. Albert Einstein was the one who said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. And though he was talking about science. What if we were to apply what he said to life to our life. What do you repeat over and over and over again, but you are expecting a different result.
For some people it's just one more drink one more just one more minutes over been undone, or one more hit or one more look at that stuff on the Internet that then I'm done for others, it's just a few more dollars and no one will even know it's missing. For others it's just one more shopping trip for still others, it's just one more binge meal addictions have different colors come in different flavors but that repetitive ongoing cycle doesn't stop now, you probably may already know this but the word addiction is is not found in your Bible.
Unless of course you have the King James Bible.
The old King James Bible. I'm reading the new King James is not found in my version is not found in any modern version but it does appear once in the old King James Bible, but it will surprise you to know that it's not mentioned in the negative sense, but in a positive sense in first Corinthians 16.
Paul writes about the household of Stephan S they are addicted to the ministry.
He said simply put, there's a family that is devoted to serving people and uses the term addicted.
That's the only time you find it. The old King James version in a good sense not a bad since now we know it today in a negative connotation and addiction.
Webster's dictionary defines an addiction as a surrender of oneself to something obsessively and habitually. But the idea of addiction shows up all over the place in the Bible.
In other words, different words than the word addiction.
One of those words is found in our text this morning is the word captive or captives in the plural.
Those who are held as prisoner by repetitive ongoing behavior that are held captive. Also in first Corinthians, Paul says all things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by any that's another description of when something Masters you you you keep doing it over and over and you seem to can be able to stop addiction is always a present danger posed by our own nature. The Bible calls it the flesh. That's our old they are sinful nature.
The Bible calls the flesh. So in Ephesians chapter 2 verse three Paul says formally. We walked in the desires of our flesh, indulging those desires. First Peter chapter 2 verse 11.
Abstain from fleshly desires which wage war against the soul and in the book of James. He speaks about those who are carried away and seduced by the tempter living under their desires.
So what's special word would Jesus Christ have for such people. What words of hope. Would Christ have for those who find themselves in addictive behavior. Moreover, what kind of role model would he have for us. The followers of Christ and how to treat addicts to begin with you in Luke chapter 4 I bless you to turn to Luke chapter 4, I first want you to notice that Jesus has good news for addicts in Luke chapter 4 verse 16 we began, so he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read. He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah when it opened the book, he found a place where it was written, the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord that he closed the book David back to the attendant and he sat down in the eyes of all who are in the synagogue were fixed on him and he began to say to them today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. This marks the beginning of Jesus public ministry. He is 30 years of age. He walks into the synagogue, a little group gathering. He had gone to that synagogue growing up all his life. Now he's back, and he is given a scroll. He opens the scroll to Isaiah we know it is chapter 61 and he begins his ministry by reading this text, what fascinates me about that as somebody else began their ministry using the same exact portion of Scripture's name is John Wesley. It was April 2, 1739, when Wesley decided he's not just going to preach the gospel inside of a church or church people, reason to take it outside the walls where the disenfranchised are the street people are with the people would never come to church, hang out, and he writes in his diary after his first message he said 3000 people heard the gospel outside the walls of the church today and he said I chose as my text.
The very text we are reading so I find it fascinating that he decided to begin his ministry to the disenfranchised and the captive much like Jesus did with the same text. Now look at verse 18 a little more carefully and noticed with your own eyes. The description of the audience that Jesus was sent to you as you look at some of the words in that verse, I think you're going to have to agree were talking about the messiest bunch of folks you could ever imagine. Look at look at the description. Poor broken hearted captive blind oppressed you know what describes us the whole lot of us. None of us came out perfect.
We were all born flawed.
I know your parents that you were the greatest, we were born is a block she's perfect. All they had to do was wait my ride soon they would discover how flawed you really were.
Soon they would discover as your human nature began to blossom. Man, she's got that propensity he has that bent that leaning and then as the years went on, even you made that same discovery about yourself as societal pressure and inborn tendencies work together.
You saw how flawed you really were. And for some people that fleshly poll is so profound it shows itself and what we would call life dominating sins addiction's life dominating sense what the writer of Hebrews calls besetting sins. Hebrews chapter 12 says the sin which so easily besets us, ensnares us, entangles us, that's an addiction Jesus as a special message for such people notice he has come to preach the gospel and what the word gospel mean dry means good news and we as Christians need to remember that our message ought to be a message of good news for the life of matter how we managed to do it, but some of us Christians managed to make good news. Sound like bad news. You are to become a Christian, you're like me and have peace and meaning in zip and zing in their life.
Not thanks, Max. It's good news and we need to give the gospel good news because you see the world has messages of bad news for these people you were born this way you'll never change that that identifies you, and that defines you and your addiction will always define you know we need to give them the good news.
Good news is the gospel is the gospel, by the way, or the gospel according to Paul in first Corinthians 15 is very simple.
It's that message that Jesus came that he died that he was buried, and that he rose again from the dead and that he did it for you. That's the gospel.
Somebody asked Charles Spurgeon one time, could you take everything you believe in, or the Christians believe in, and sum it up in a few words, he said I give you four words.
Christ died for me, it's the gospel. That's the good news he loves you. He has a plan for you so notice it says that the Lord sent him the father sent him to proclaim liberty to the captives, there's that word, I just want to consider that word we talk about addictions captive.
Did you know the word literally refers to prisoners of war. POWs I have come to proclaim liberty to prisoners of war.
Jesus has a special message to those who have been barraged by the enemy Jesus as a special message for those who have been taken captive by Satan were in bondage of addiction. I was reading this week.
The testimony of an X addict named Gary there's a story in a nutshell when he grew up. He said he was abused by his maternal grandmother that would tweak anybody by age 12 he was drinking alcoholic became addicted to 12 years of age by 16, he was already on drugs became addicted. One day as a teenager is a mid to late teenagers in a car somebody in the car on exactly who it was but spoke to him a message. He said Gary I do know I'm telling you this but I feel like I need to tell you, Jesus loves you because what Jesus Christ loves you.
Gary said you know it irritated me, but that simple message was so profound, Jesus loves an addict. He said those words were a seed that began to break down my angry hardened heart. So Jesus has good news for addicts. I've come to preach the good news something else. Not only does he have good news for addicts. Jesus has a good plan for addicts. I draw you back to verse 18 of Luke chapter 4, I want you to notice as you look at the text. The relationship between two phrases because art is an important relationship. Notice he says that he has been anointed.
He is been said to proclaim liberty to the captives see that phrase but then notice a few phrases after that to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim liberty to set at liberty to proclaim liberty is to preach to Harold to make an announcement to say something with your mouth, but to set at liberty something vastly different in other words, I'm going to do for you what I proclaimed.
In other words, Jesus is saying I don't just have a nice sermon for addicts. I have a great strategy for them. I have a plan and my plan is to release them to give them freedom from their addictions to break the cycle that their cotton not as he do that. How can he do that.
How can God do that well I think you will agree with this statement.
First of all he can do anything right. He can do anything so I does he do it. What I have seen him again this is rare to say that that he can take away a desire instantly thought of as what is love. If you do that with all of our bed. As I just take away does remove it.
I have heard the testimony of those who have been addicted to a variety of things.
Tell me they no longer have any trouble with that issue anymore. They're not even struggling with it on the desire. I applaud back, I think it's wonderful. It's miraculous. It's not the norm. Usually the way he does that is supernaturally naturally that his supernatural power that comes through natural processes. It's the principle of cooperation if you're familiar with the Old Testament, you know, this principle. God tells the children of Israel going to conquer the land taken over.
I'm to give the land to you.
I'm gonna deliver your enemies into your hand. Sounds easy right I'm in a do this on to do that, to deliver him to give, but he also says you need boots on the ground. You need to take your sword out you need to engage in battle you need to march to the land and as you cooperate with me. My power will give it to you and do it for you to a natural process. So I want to give you what I think is a healthy process that God empowers from everything I've read and from those that I have spoken with who have in the past been addicted to a variety of substances we need to take and isolate that addiction so picture picture in addiction in front of you, however you want a picture. Whatever it is and we need now to quarantine.
We need to isolate it. We need to draw a box around the box has four sides. The first side will get a call accurate assessment you need to make an accurate assessment of your addiction. In other words, don't underestimate your addiction. It's a big deal as were many people fail box not a big deal I can stop anytime I want. They never do. It keeps going.
The cycle continues. But they keep telling themselves. Not a big deal. No accurate assessment. Don't underestimate your addiction and addiction is not a typical challenge that everybody goes through, it is the struggle of a lifetime.
In fact, there will probably never be a greater challenge in your entire life in that particular challenge. All other problems will pale in comparison. Accurate assessment one author who was once addicted wrote these words. Early recovery is one big dramatic event and your emotional court is bouncing down the side of a mountain.
It's an emotional roller coaster. This same phenomenon can be observed when someone tries to quit smoking.
The smoker will notice that every time to try to quit smoking. All this drama pops up in their life.
Why is this happening. They wonder why does all this drama suddenly show up every time you try to quit.
He answers it. You have been fooled by your addiction.
You have been fooled by your addiction withdrawal from nicotine or drugs or pornography or food turns up the intensity. He says on your life turns up the emotional intensity, so an accurate assessment is the first side of that box, but thrust second side to quarantine addiction will call this overwhelming force use overwhelming force.
If you want to capture a base of your enemies, the best way to do it is by using overwhelming force.
So if it takes 200 soldiers to take over an enemy base bring 800 so there is no chance for failure. You will overwhelm the enemy with your force will make sure the job gets done – get paid to 11 message about bully messages count from his series, Jesus loves going the full message and more skips teaching as well as full-length servants or anywhere any time on any device. YouTube.com/Calvary ABQ now we want to let you know about a resource that will encourage even more in your face. Imagine the challenge faced Skip night is taught over 3500 through the Bible messages we had to pick the top 10 for special resource offer you simple chips. Are we in the last days.
Yes, but we've been in the last days for 2000 years.
The time between the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ falls under the designation, the last date this time of accident of skips typed in teachings are messages want to hear and share one of the things I love about God is he's not complicated. Most truth, you will discover his simple truth, not simplistic truth simple truth when you give $35 or more today will also include linear high textbook reload love the history of ministry.
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Call 892 1888 to give or visit connectwithskip.com hearing good news of Jesus can turn the difference for someone who's never heard it before you can be a part of sharing that life-changing method for someone to die to keep these messages on the help my license like you connect to our Lord and Savior to keep this podcast going strong visit connectwithskip.com/donate now connectwithskip.com/down or call 892 1819 to 18 come back next week is six years. Another toppling message and reveals how you can experience true happiness with Skip presentation of connection communication is changing to ever-changing time