Joe & Cathleen Parks
hold us back from our purposes, from having satisfying relationships, from living a life that’s fulfilling and impacting. The anchors that hold us down. Throughout demolish we will have the opportunity to cover a lot of different things but today I get to talk about one specific topic and that is addiction. As Joe and I looked over the demolition series together I think it was obvious to both of us that I needed to be the one to present the message on addictions. Honestly between the two of us I am the one who struggles more with addictive tendencies. I’ve struggled with cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and food.
So, how do we overcome the things in our lives that overcome us? There really is a process by which we can move toward success so let’s go through it...We’re gonna DEMOLISH addictions…
(Joe) the first thing we do is we D - DON’T DELAY - START TODAY!
For people in the midst of an addicting habit the start is one of the hardest parts, isn’t it? We will quit smoking at the end of the pack or this really stressful work week. Or peel ourselves away from facebook, or whatever, long enough to realize there is a real world on the other side of the computer just after you check these last few posts. How many of you know that computer addictions are huge, growing addictions that are not just affecting teens. People are finding that they just can’t walk away from all the internet has to offer in laughs or knowledge, or friendships, or gambling. And we’ll get off the computer when....... like stopping that internet porn habit after the wedding or when the kids get old enough that they might pick up on what you’re doing?
When it comes to us stopping the things in our lives we know we need to stop why is there always tomorrow, next week, next month? Have you noticed there are more people going on a diet tomorrow than today? We have a tendency to want to wait?
Let’s look at some Biblical insight on waiting to change. It comes from Eccl. 11:4
"If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done!"
Don’t wait until the end of the pack, the end of the cake, the end of whatever addictions weigh you down. If you wait until the perfect conditions the Bible says you’ll never get anywhere. The perfect conditions will never exist and besides the guise of waiting for them was just a stall so you could continue your little addiction anyway. That’s real right?
Underneath it all we want to drag it out just a little longer - just one more time. But at some point our addictions will bring death. They’ll kill us physically or they’ll kill our relationships or our bank accounts or our ability to not totally jack up what our life should be, what God has for us, because we just can’t walk away.
Prov. 27:1 "Never boast about tomorrow. You don't know what will happen between now and then." - Guys let’s not put off until tomorrow what we can do today. Let’s start today - don’t delay. Every step in the right direction is a step closer to the goal.
(Cathleen) E - EMBRACE MY OWN RESPONSIBILITY
This problem is as old as dirt. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden what did they do when God asked them what happened? Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent and neither one of them owned it. Scripture says it more plainly in Proverbs 19:3
"Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord."
People will always find away to blame someone else - or even God. We have to take a good honest look and determine what responsibilities we need to acknowledge. And I know it seems silly but then we need to embrace them. Because where we can be real about our responsibilities in our addictions and failures we can start taking real action to change them. Proverbs 1:7b say, “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” I don’t want to be a fool. Anyone here want to be a fool? :)
(Joe) M - MONITOR MY LIFE
Lamentations 3:40 "Let us examine our ways and test them, and return to the Lord."
Every now and then we just need to ask ourselves questions like "What are my weaknesses? How long have I had this problem? Where am I tempted most? What’s holding me back from change? We are examining our ways. Denying them won’t bring about positive change. In fact, denial prevents healing.
Psalm 32:3-5 "My dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration until I finally admitted my sins and stopped trying to hide them. And God forgave me! All my guilt is gone!"
Denial is just us being dishonest with ourselves. It’s a weird psychological self-lie.
But what did that scripture say - My dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. See even when we are in denial we know the truth deep down and the conflict between what we know and what we choose to acknowledge tears at us. That’s why we have to monitor or examine ourselves, so that we can deal honestly with the things we act like aren’t there. If we deny them we can never lay them down. They just pile up. I don’t know about you but I like to take my kitchen trash out daily. If I don’t it starts to stink, it overflows, it’s just nasty.
Honest examination is taking the trash out.
And instead of placing at the curb we are placing it the cross. And let’s look again at that scripture. It said what? And God forgave me! All my guilt is gone!”
Wow. All gone. that’s good stuff.
(C ) O - OVERRIDE MY OWN ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE
On a plane their are two types of flight that I’m aware of. Manual and auto-pilot right? Life can kinda work the same way. We can kinda tell God - yah know what buddy I got this one. I think I can handle this. Why do we do that? I read a little caption on a magazine cover this week that said, ‘If God is you co-pilot (has anyone ever seen that bumper sticker? - I have) Anyway, it said, ‘if God is your co-pilot, switch seats!’ For real! He's waiting to help.
You need a power greater than yourself to help you change. We can't change on our own power.
Romans 6:12-13 "Don't let sin control your body any longer. Don't give in to its sinful desires but give yourself completely to God -- every part of you -- to be used for His good purposes."
Every part of you - given over to God. You know what that brings - freedom. If you realize that it’s God’s responsibility to change you - not yours you’ll experience and amazing freedom. Does that mean you don’t have your part -no! But it means you are trusting Him to give you wisdom through His word, through the leading of His spirit, through the wise counsel of others to guide you through to wholeness. He really will do it. His part is the big part. What are some of your parts? Write those down....
L - LEAVE TEMPTATION
Romans 13:14 "Don't give any chances for the flesh to have it's fling."
Proverbs 4:26-27 "Plan carefully what you do. Avoid evil."
FIRE ESCAPE PLAN
Don’t go into a burning building
Know your weaknesses
Know your exits
Work the plan
Ephesians 4:27 "Don't give the devil a foothold."
Okay, the next thing you need to do.......
(J) I - INTENTIONALLY FOCUS ON SOMETHING BETTER/GODLY THINGS
Proverbs 4:23 "Be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts." (GN) thoughts, thoughts, thoughts - The Bible says that the spiritual battle for sin is fought in the mind. If you want to change your life, it starts right here. The moment you're tempted you turn your mind to something else. Bounce back. (explanation of Steve Arterburn's book, Every Mans Battle. See video for details)
What do you focus on? Philippians 4:8 tells us....
"Fill your mind with things that are good and deserve praise; things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable."
This is the principle of replacement. If something else is not filling your thoughts then your thinker is an empty space just waiting to be filled with the next thought that comes along. Have you seen or heard the story of the TITANIC WINE BOTTLES?
They are sitting at the bottom of the ocean completely fine.... the glass didnt shatter under the enormous pressure of the sea, the enormous pressure of the outside, because inside it was full.
Are you filling yourself daily?
You say you're going to get rid of a thought. But it will come right back unless you replace something else with it. The principle of replacement. The power of a positive thinking -- when you want to get rid of a bad thought, fill it with a good thought. You replace old thoughts with new ones. That's why Romans 12:2 says "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
S - SEEK RESTORATION WITH OTHERS
Why is this important? Anything that is out of control in your life is hurting somebody else. When we have addictions we manipulate other people to fulfill those addictions. We end up causing grief to ourselves, grief to others and guilt to ourselves. You need to make those things right. Go to those people you've hurt and restore those relationships. Romans 12:18 "As far as your responsibility goes, live at peace with everyone."
(C ) H - HELP MYSELF AND OTHERS
Eccl. 4:9-10 "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble."
That pretty much explains itself doesn’t it? Look at James 5:16
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed"
The enemy loves a good secret. With your good secret he can heap on you guilt, shame, humiliation, self hatred, bitterness - oh it just keeps coming. He gets you all bound up. But when you share your struggles with others you open up the opportunity to hear someone else’s experience and often times we find we are learning from others successes and their failures.
"“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)
Let’s review.............…
DON’T DELAY - START TODAY!
EMBRACE MY OWN RESPONSIBILITY
MONITOR MY LIFE
OVERRIDE MY OWNS WANTS AND DESIRES
LEAVE TEMPTATION
INVEST YOUR ATTENTION ON SOMETHING BETTER/GODLY THINGS
SEEK RESTORATION
HELP MYSELF AND OTHERS
You can DEMOLISH Addiction, you have access to that power.
Watch video of message here:
http://focuschurch.com/social.php?item=item:20131014021046A1795F
Entire DEMOLISH series here: http://focuschurch.com/social.php
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