1 CORINTHIANS 16:15 “ADDICTED TO GOD”
A) The word that I want to focus on tonight is the word addicted.
* The Greek word is “etaxan” (e’-tax-an) and means to devote or to give of
oneself ... Webster: Unable to give up a habit, strongly inclined.
B) When you think about being an addict, then you have to think of
the addict.
* An addict is a person who is a slave to a habit, or a person who is deeply
devoted to or a very enthusiastic follower or advocate of something.
* This is the sense that this Scripture is talking about tonight.
C) Today, people are addicted to a lot of things, and two of the most
damaging is drugs and alcohol.
* In 2015, there were 17.6 million admitting alcoholics in America.
D) America leads the world in illegal drug use.
* There are more than 22 million drug addicts over the age of 12 in the USA.
* There could be many more that are secretly addicted to drugs.
E) But there are more addicts that we could talk about.
* We have baseball addicts – Football addicts – Golf addicts.
* TV addicts. (Handouts)
F) Then we have gambling addicts – 1 Tim. 6:10 “For the love of .......”
* If money occupies the place in your life that God should occupy, then love
of money is the root of all evil that will damn your soul to hell.
* Paul says that the love of money causes men to err from the truth
and forget God.
G) When a man is addicted to gambling, that’s exactly what happens.
* And “they pierce themselves through with many sorrows.”
* That means to torture one’s soul with numerous sorrows.
H) I want to talk about some people in the Bible who were addicted to God.
(1) ENOCH – Gen. 5:21-24
* 3 things are clearly pointed out here:
A) First: Enoch walked with God, but his walk with God didn’t begin
until after the birth of Methuselah.
* The birth of a child was a blessing from God.
* Enoch was an outstanding man in many ways – Turn to Jude 14-15.
B) He was the seventh from Adam, meaning he lived in the seventh
generation after Adam.
* He preached prophetic messages, and he knew more about the second
coming than some preachers in our present day.
C) “Walked” means that Enoch had an intimate relationship with God.
* God was first place in his life, and it was God and God alone that ruled his life.
D) Second: Enoch did not die – He walked with God and God took him.
* He was translated – He went home with God without dying.
E) It’s been said that Enoch was walking with God one day, and they walked
and talked so long in such sweet fellowship .......
* That near nightfall God said to Enoch, “Enoch, it’s nearer to My house than
it is yours, just come on home with Me.”
F) Third: Enoch is a type of the Rapture.
* Notice all the phrases in Gen. 5, “And he died.” – Eight times – Six before
v.24, and two after v.24. – God took Enoch to heaven alive.
* In the midst of dying men, Enoch didn’t die.
G) Heb. 11:5 says that it was by faith that Enoch was translated.
* So undoubtedly God revealed to him that he wouldn’t die.
* By faith he cheated the grave ... Enoch was addicted to God – He lived
in the presence of God.
H) The name Enoch means “dedicated, one yielded up to God.”
* For 300 years he walked with God – Not once a week – Not just in the
morning or evening – Not just a few minutes, but continually and always.
* Get addicted to God and you’ll walk with God like Enoch did.
(2) MOSES – Exo. 2:1-9
A) His birth was during a time of severe persecution.
* After Joseph died, a new king arose over Egypt who didn’t know Joseph.
B) And because he was afraid Joseph’s people .......
* Who were multiplying rapidly, might at some future date join forces with an
enemy against Egypt in time of war, he began plans to get rid of them.
* Exo. 1:17 tells us that the midwives feared God and wouldn’t do what the
king wanted them to do.
C) Well, Moses was born during that time.
* Moses was hidden for three months in his parents’ home .......
* And when they were no longer able to hide him there, they put him in
an ark and placed him in the bulrushes.
D) Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby and when he wept,
she had compassion.
* Exo. 2:7, His sister Miriam said to her, “Shall I go and call thee a nurse
of the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for thee?”
* Guess who she got? – Moses’ own mother.
E) In Exo. 3, there is the call of Moses – The burning bush.
* Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?”
* “And when I come to the children of Israel and tell them that You sent me
and they ask me, what is His name – What shall I tell them?” (“I AM .......”)
F) In Exo. 4, Moses started making excuses, “They’ll not believe me, nor
hearken unto my voice and say, the LORD hath not appeared unto thee.”
* God said, “What is that in thine hand?” ... Moses said, “A rod.”
* God said, “Cast it on the ground,” and he did and it became a serpent,
and Moses fled from before it.
G) Then God said, “Take it by the tail,” and he did and it became a rod again.
* “Put forth thine hand into thy bosom,” and he did and when he pulled it out,
his hand was leprous as snow.
* “Put it back in again,” and he did and his hand turned again as his other flesh.
H) Moses and Aaron goes to Pharaoh and demands he let God’s people go.
* The ten plagues – Finally when Pharaoh’s firstborn died, he let them go.
* And we all know how that story ends.
MOSES WANTED TO SEE GOD’S GLORY
A) In Exo. 33:18-23, Moses wanted to see God’s glory. (Explain)
* Exo. 34:28, Moses was with God forty days and forty nights, and v.30, his face
shown with the glory of God.
* Moses had to put a vail on his face to talk with the people.
B) Moses was addicted to God – His face shown with God’s glory.
* Get addicted to God and God’s glory will shine on your face.
(3) ELIJAH * Time won’t permit me to go into all of Elijah’s life.
A) 1 Kings 17:1-24 – Elijah by the brook Cherith.
* Then the widow and oil and meal ... Pic 2 ... The widow’s son.
B) 1 Kings 18:19-40 – Duel of the prophets of Baal.
* Four barrels of water – Three times with water.
* There are many more things that Elijah did – Divided the river Jordan. (Elisha)
C) 2 Kings 2:9-11 – Elijah taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.
* Whirlwind (Twisters) ... Get addicted to God and you’ll go up to heaven
via Rapture.
CLOSE
A) There are many who use God as a spare tire – Only when needed.
* You need to be a God addict – I need to be a God addict.
* Get addicted to Jesus.
