OVERCOMING THE DESTRUCTIVE COMPULSIONS IN OUR LIVES
Pastor Rex E. Faile, Sr.
Lakewood Christian Church
ad·dict (…-d¹kt“) tr.v. ad·dict·ed, ad·dict·ing, ad·dicts. 1. To devote or give (oneself) habitually or compulsively. 2. To cause to become compulsively and physiologically dependent on a habit-forming substance. --ad·dict (²d“¹kt) n. 1. One who is addicted, as to narcotics. 2. A devoted believer or follower. --ad·dic“tive adj. (internet dictionary)
1 Cor 6:9-20
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12 "Everything is permissible for me"-- but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"-- but I will not be mastered by anything.
13 "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"-- but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."
17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
(NIV)
I. Types of Addiction
A. Habits - Behavioral (change routine)
B. Spirits - influence or posession
Luke 11:24-26
24 When the unclean spirit is gone 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 out.
25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
26 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.
(KJV)
C. Psychological (emotional ) depresssed ; happy ; anger ..bosom of fools Eccl.7:9
D. Physical - dependency
II. How do these happen?
A. Peer pressure
1 Cor 15:33
33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." (NAS)
Prov 13:20-21
20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
21 Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.
(KJV)
B. Escapism or denial
C. Pleasure
Heb 11:24-26
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
(KJV)
III. Process of addiction
A. I like it
B. I want it
C. I need it
D. I crave it
A man takes a drink, a drink takes a drink, a drink takes a man
IV. Sin or Sickness (disease)
1 Cor 6:10
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (KJV)
Rev 21:8
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (KJV)
V. Freedom from our addictions
Luke 4:18
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (KJV)
I Jn 5:12
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (KJV)
John 8:36
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (KJV)
John 8:32
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (KJV)
PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
Eph 6:11-19
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
(KJV)
A. Recognize our sonship
a. Authority in Him
b. Freedom in Him
Matt 28:18
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (KJV)
Eph 1:19-23
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
(KJV)
John 14:13
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (KJV)
John 14:14
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (KJV)
John 14:26
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (KJV)
B. Know your self - worth
Rom 8:31-32
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
(KJV)
Zech 2:8
8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. (KJV)
C. Welcome God’s power of the Spirit (Zec. 4:6)
D. Seek a support group - the church
E. Discipline your life for change
a. Keep doing...keep gettings
b. Go and SIN NO MORE!
John 8:11
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (KJV)
VI. Alter Call
A. Contrition
Ps 51:17
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (KJV)
2 Cor 7:10
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (KJV)
B. Confession
I Jn 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV)
2 Chr 6:24-27
24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;
25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;
27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.
(KJV)
C. Repentance
D. Change -
D. Dependence - 2. A devoted believer or follower. --ad·dic“tive adj.
God’s Answer to addiction
Contrition
1. Sorry for the pain (worldly sorrow)
2. Sorry for the sin (initial disobedience)
Confession
1. Agreement about sin’s destruction
2. Agreement about God’s holiness
3. Agreement about God’s power
Change
1. Change of heart
2. Change of mind
a. change of thought, actions, and deeds
3. Change of attitude
a. We are sons of God
b. We are victors in Christ
c. We are overcomers
4. Change of situations
a. associations from bad influences
b. seeking a positive support system
Confidence
1. By experience
2. By faith
3. By hope
4. By love
John 6:32-35
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
(KJV)
John 4:13-14
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
(KJV)
