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reading there was from 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I want you to keep your finger there. We are going to come back to that. But can you come with me now to James chapter 1? Come with me to James chapter 1. And like I said, we'll come back to 1 Corinthians 10. But the title for the sermon this morning is overcoming addictions. Overcoming addictions. Okay. Now, again, you know, the nature of being a pastor, I get to talk to different brethren about different issues and struggles people have. And one thing that I've often had a hard time giving advice on is on addiction. Okay. Where somebody feels just very compelled to continue in their bad habits. And it seems like that bad habit, sometimes sinful, sometimes not sinful, but it's just wearing them down and they seem to not have any victory. And as much as sometimes we go to God in prayer, just sometimes, you know, there can be a period where that addiction is overcome, but then the soon afterwards that addiction is back in their life and having victory in their life. And, and I just wanted to do a bit of a, I wanted to preach on this topic. So that way, if I get asked about something that is addictive, at least I can point them to a sermon. So I hope it's a hope to you as well this morning. But before we read James chapter 1, I just wanted to, I hadn't looked up, looked up the word addiction online. And I found a few articles that I read through, and I'm going to share some information from this article in particularly, which might give you some ideas of what addictions mean and what they really are. But Bible says here that in the Bible, this article says that addiction is a chronic condition that can affect many aspects of your life, including your physical and mental health, relationships and career. There are two main forms of addiction, substance use disorders and behavioural addictions. Addiction is treatable. It's crucial, it's crucial to seek help as soon as possible. As of course, the help that, uh, you know, we're going to read online is going to point you to certain physicians, certain practices and things like that. And of course, look, when we talk about, you know, needing to go to a physician, I'm not against that necessarily, right? Um, if you're sick, you need a physician, definitely go for it. But the greatest physician we have is the Lord God. And so we want to go to his word. The Bible has all the answers for us in life. And so, you know, knowing how do we overcome these things that just are constantly besetting us, constantly causing us issues, seemingly not having addiction, having victory over these things. What do we have to do? But I'm going to quickly read to you a few more things here in this article. It says that addiction is a chronic condition that involves compulsive seeking and taking of a substance or performing an activity despite negative or harmful consequences. Addiction can significantly impact your health, relationships, over quality of life. And, um, again, is addiction a disease? I don't know if you've ever thought about, is this a disease? You know, when we think of disease, we think of sicknesses in the bodies, like a, like a cold or, or, you know, the frailty of our bodies breaking down or, you know, having some type of bacteria or some type of infection that's, uh, you know, affecting our bodies. But it says here, yes, addiction is a disease. It's a chronic condition. And the more study that goes into addiction, the more they realize it is a mental disorder that pretty much anybody can develop in and that essentially some people struggle more with addiction. Some people have more of an addictive personality than others. It says here, what are the types of addiction? As I said, some can be substance addiction, but they're the ones that we commonly think about the most substance addictions, you know, and, and the main one that most people struggle with is the greatest addiction that man has is toward alcohol. Okay. But other substances can be caffeine, just drinking coffee, you know, just constant, just the need, the need of copyright, you know, suffering those withdrawal symptoms when you can't have your coffee, you know, it can be marijuana, hallucinogens, sleeping pills, inhalants, like faint paint thinners, aerosol sprays, things like that prescription, even prescription medication, uh, things like cocaine, uh, tobacco smoking. You know, when we think of, again, even electronic cigarettes, even vaping, what they call today, right? Vaping the Bible says that, or the Bible, these articles says, keep saying the Bible, I'm just saying that, right? This article says that these are, you know, addictive substances. And when you allow them in your body, you know, your body's going to crave, uh, that, that, that high, that jump that these chemicals can give your body, but also addictions can also be our behavior. You know, we can have, uh, addictive behaviors such as gambling, right? I mean, we think how gambling, like, like I think about it, like as such a stupid thing, like just losing money, like the house always wins. And when you win $10,000, really, you lost $100,000 to make that 10,000 win. Like you're constantly, like, I don't understand it, but it's an addiction for some, right? People just, just gambling, um, eating, you know, overeating, like, you know, not just, um, getting drunk with alcohol, but, um, you know, what's the word, uh, gluttony, right? Just eating, just, you know, satisfying the flesh, even exercising, exercising or dieting. I mean, these are actually good things that like eating is a good thing to do, but you can overeat. Exercising is something good to do, but you can over exercise where that just becomes your life. Shopping, you know, I know of some people that say to me, and again, sorry if I'm pointing anyone out here, but just, you know, pass, I've got to put limits on my wife. Cause you know, if we give her, if I give her the debit card or the credit card, I have nothing left at the end of the week. And so these, these are addictions that people can have shopping, you know, some people have an addiction to shoplifting. I don't understand that. I don't understand that. Some people are addicted to shoplifting or other risky behaviors. I've actually, I'm actually aware of that. I've had someone I've had quite a few people share with me that they have, um, uh, addictions to putting themselves in dangerous positions where they can get caught by police and arrested and just being put into that position gives them a high, like, and getting away with it. It's like, yes, a victory. And it's just this constant addiction. I won't share what those are, but, um, having sex can be an addiction. Just being obsessed with it. Looking at pornography, video games, video gaming, uh, internet gaming is a addiction or just using the internet in, in general, where you're just constantly on the phone. Just I need to just constantly check my notifications. Has someone liked my photograph on Instagram or something like that? Right. Just that, that. And if you go for a while, where's my phone, where's my phone, where's my phone. That's, that's addictions that somebody can have, you know, um, just, just, uh, all of these things are at the end of the day, mental disorders, you've rewired your brain to desire things. And, you know, you look a little bit crazy, you know, some I've also had people that have OCD, not somebody that have OCD needs to have things in order, just perfect order. And if something's disorderly, you know, that they kind of, they can't control it or just constantly cleaning just, but is there anything wrong with having things in order? I like having things in order. I like being clean in general, but you can take these things way too far. You're constantly cleaning, right? As soon as there's something dirty, you just can't live life unless you have things in order and things are constantly clean. And look, these addictions have an impact on your daily life, has an impact on your relationships. Just has your ability to be able to live a normal, happy life, you know, and just having these withdrawal symptoms, just drives you to constantly give into these addictive things. And you know, you know, it destroys your life. You just have a hard time finding victory over it. Let me just read some more things. What are some signs of addiction? The inability to stop, inability to stop, your increased tolerance. So things that you know are wrong, but you just, you're so addicted to doing it, you start to justify it's not that bad. You start to tolerate, you know, um, uh, what are signs of addiction, intense focus on the substance or activity. That's what I told you. Like when you're addicted to your phone, like that, that folk, I just got to keep doing that lack of control or lack of self-control, uh, personal problems and health issues. Sometimes your body can be deteriorating like on drugs and you're just losing weight and you look like bones and you know, you know, there's something wrong with you physically, but you just, you just don't want to recognize that it's my addiction that's causing this issue. And as I said, withdrawal symptoms. And, uh, again, what is the cause of addiction? It says, no, it's not a single cause of addiction. It's a very complex condition. And again, it, uh, it just, it has to do with our brain being rewired and, um, once in the dopamine hits that like constant desire seeking for validation and pleasure. Some people are just genetically more addictive in, in, in their, in their actions. And so look, these things can be very harmful to your life, very harmful to your body. And so, as I said, the title for the sermon today is overcoming addiction, overcoming addictions. And I want to give you some biblical principles that if you're someone, if you can identify yourself as someone like this, then I want to give you some biblical principles to live by. And, um, look, I think we can all recognize in ourselves that there have been times that we've been addicted to certain things. I think we can all kind of recognize that about ourselves. And, you know, I, even I can look back in my life and, and, and realize, man, I just spent way too much money on this or that because I was addicted. You know, um, I remember just as a kid, just growing up in, in school, I was addicted to collecting like basketball cards and like is, you know, I liked basketball and it was just nice to, you know, spend money and you buy one pack and you get like five cards and then you get doubles. Then you're like, you get addicted, like in the sense, you got to complete the set. And then you, you know, you're trying to find right people so you can swap your cards with and things like that. Um, but you know, I kind of, I kind of look back at my life. Some of that you just outgrow just in time, like things become vastly more important to you than others, but there are probably some things that even as adults, even right now that you suffer addictions with now going to turn there to James chapter one and verse number 12, James chapter one and verse number 12, it says here, blessed is the man that endure of temptation. But when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord have promised to them that love him. Addictions are temptations given into that temptation. Feel like you just cannot overcome that temptation. The Bible telling us here that we're blessed. God will bless you if you can endure it. If you can overcome these temptations, if you're not constantly giving in, God says, I've got a blessing for you, but I want you to notice what it says in verse number 13, let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, but God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither tempteth he any man, but this is so important. I really want you to zone in on this, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust, his own lust and enticed. Then when lust have conceived, they bring forth sin and sin when it is finished, bring a forth death. The first point that I have for you brethren, and you might think this is easy, but I realize it's not as easy as it might look, is that you must accept that the struggle is within yourself. This addictive struggle is within yourself. It's a lust coming from your own heart. Look, many times people say, if you've got a problem, the first thing you need to do is admit that you've got a problem. And I think that's right. Like when we go and we preach the gospel to the lost, and we're trying to show them that they need to be saved and need a savior, the first thing we point to is realize, look, you're a sinner. You've got to admit you're a sinner, right? Once you admit I'm a sinner, then you can easily accept or more readily accept, I should say, that you have a problem and you need a solution. And that solution is Jesus. I mean, that has to do with anything in life, any problems. And look, you've got to readily admit that you've got an addiction. And sometimes people think, no, no, no, I can over, yeah, yeah. Like I know I'm obsessed, but if I wanted to give up tomorrow, I can. All right. If you can give up tomorrow, why haven't you given up by now though? Because you're addicted. You've got to accept, you've got a problem. And that problem is within yourself. And look, I know, yeah, I know that pastor. That's an easy one. I can just admit I've got a problem. It's harder than you realize. And again, because I sometimes think it's easy, but then when I talk to brethren that struggle with addiction, I realize how hard it is. And let me share with you why some people struggle. We've admitted the issues with themselves because quite often when there is an addiction, quite often someone's going to blame external factors. Oh, the reason I'm looking at pornography pastor is my wife. Like it's, it's, it's always going to be something else. Some other situation, you know, it's my, it's my wife. It's my husband. It's my children. It's my church. Right. It's my surround. It's my family. It's, it's, uh, my workplace. It's my friends. It's the economy. You know, it's whatever it is. The reason I struggle with this is because of, no, no, it's because of your lust. You must understand that. Yes. Look, some other aspects. Yeah. We're going to look at that shortly can influence you. But at the end of the day, the lust is in your heart to begin with. You're driven to that addiction. Not because you can't just blame the devil and blame this and blame the world and blame society. It's in your own self. The earliest you identify that, the quicker you're going to be able to overcome the addiction. I'd say another way people overcome, like don't, or, and this is more subconscious where they may acknowledge there's an issue in their life. There's an addiction in their life, but instead of going, all right, I've got an issue. I've got to deal with my issue. Some people just want to forget their issue. They want to forget their addiction. And what happens? They start looking at the problems of everybody else. And this is more, this is more obvious. This is more not obvious. This is more frequent than you realize. And if you've got a, if you've got somebody in your life that's constantly correcting you, constantly telling you how to live your life, constantly trying to give you unsolicited advice, constantly trying to correct you every time you got an issue, even if it's not, even if you think sometimes like that's not an issue, but they're like, but you know, God's not going to be happy with that. What you're doing here. And you know, you're being judged by God and brother, you've got to do this and you've got to do that. And you know, it's unsolicited. Like, you know what, how it begins, you start thinking this person has my best intentions in mind. Well, this person really loves me. This person's really trying to help me. And like, and then you start to realize there's something not quite right with this individual. Why are they seemingly so obsessed with my life? I mean, they tell me they love me and they're praying for me, praise God for that. And then you're trying to justify these things that they're not really acting. I don't think it's the right way to act. I think they're overly obsessed with my life, but am I just being hate? Am I being hateful for the wrong reason? Am I the one in the wrong here? Am I misjudging their intentions? Maybe they do love me. Maybe I do need this counsel and advice that they're seemingly giving me. But I tell you, the number one reason they're doing that is because they're trying to ignore some addiction or some major problem in their life. And the way they do it is by focusing on issues of other people. Look, I'm telling you as a pastor, in the almost seven years that I've been pastoring, this is more often than you realize. And look, I'm not saying, and then someone's saying, oh, I better never say something to encourage a brother because they're going to miss something. Look, obviously we're constantly trying to encourage one another. Obviously we're trying to constantly provoke one another to love and good works. But you know within yourself when something gets a little bit too far, a little bit too carried away, too obsessed with my life when you've got major issues in your own life. This happens a lot. And this happens a lot with churches with a lot of knowledge. I know a lot of doctrine. I know a lot of bibles. So I know how to tell you if you're wrong or if you're right by yourself. This is a classic example that Jesus Christ gives the parable of the, you know, the man who is focused on the moat of his brother's eye and doesn't desire or doesn't even realize the beam that's coming out of his own eye. Like you've got this massive problem in your own life. You've got this major addiction in your own life. But I don't want to deal with that. How about you? You've got a moat in your brother's eye. I've got to tell you about your issues. I've got to get involved. But I love you, brother. Just how about you take that big beam out of your own eye first before you start telling people how to live their lives? This is why, like, it seems easy. Step number one, accept the struggle is within yourself. And most people are like, yes, pastor, you're right. But then next day, you're forgetting like, again, focusing on the wrong people. Oh, but I love my brethren. Look, you can't help them if you can't help yourself. How can you be a shining light of an example of a Christian if you're yourself struggling for the Lord to help you through your addictions? Accept that the struggle is within yourself. And I'm not mad at anybody today. If I come across like I'm mad, I just, I hate hypocrisy. And not just, I hate hypocrisy even in myself. That's how much I hate hypocrisy. Okay, because it's so tricky sometimes to recognize am I just being loving? And, you know, am I using the excuse of loving to cover up my hypocrisy and my addictions and my problems that have got in my life? But this happens a lot. And, you know, I just want you to be able to identify either in yourself or when someone is getting so obsessed in your life, trying to tell you what is right and wrong cause. I mean, it's not your mum and dad. It's not someone that has authority in your life. It's someone else. And at that point, I want you to realize when you feel like this person's overstepping their boundaries, it's because they're struggling. I'm just telling you the truth. They're struggling with major issues and they're trying to ignore it by being focused on your problems. But accept that the struggle is within yourself. Your flesh. Now come back with me to 1 Corinthians 10, where we had the reading. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse number 13. 1 Corinthians, I love 1 Corinthians. By the way, I love 1 Corinthians 10. I want you to know that. It's one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. So, so much great doctrine. So much doctrine that I try to live by. Like 1 Corinthians 10 is one of those chapters that I just, I feel like it's just so, if you can follow what the Bible is telling you there, you're going to have a very stable life just in general, right? 1 Corinthians 10. The Bible tells us here in 1 Corinthians 10, verse number 13. There has no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. So I want you to understand the addiction you struggle with, you're not like this weird person, okay? The common man can struggle with those addictions as well, okay? Maybe I've struggled with the same addictions you've struggled with, you're struggling with, maybe, okay? I want you to understand that. Like you're not this strange, crazy person, okay? You're just a man, you're just a woman, okay? But it says here, but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. Whatever temptation, whatever addiction, I want you to understand this, whatever addiction you have in life is not above what you're able to overcome. Do you believe that? Because most people that I talk to with addiction say, pastor, I just can't do it. I can't win. I've lost. No, no, no, no, no. God says you are able to overcome that temptation. It says, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it. Do you believe that? Do you believe God's word? Do you believe his promise? Point number two is remember that God has given you a way to escape. God has given you, all right? I might not have the answer. Pastor, I'm addicted. What do I do? I might not have the answer for you brother, but I know God does. I know God has promised there's a way of escape. You can overcome that addiction in your life. Because again, the attitude that I hear is it's impossible. I just can't do it. I just can't overcome. I can't win. And no, I get that because I've been addicted too. And that sensation, it's just more powerful than I am. It's very powerful. The temptations are very powerful. They are, but God promises you a way of escape. Look, there's no excuse is what the Bible is telling us. There actually is no excuse. There is a way. And look, I don't know. Like I said, I may not understand another way and you may not necessarily know it immediately, but that's why God knows it. God provided the way, didn't He? So Lord, Lord, what is the way to escape? How do I overcome this temptation that you've given me? So we need to be able to combat that attitude. It's impossible. I give up. What do I do, Pastor? It just doesn't work for me. I want to read a few passages to you. If you can come with me to, come with me to Mark chapter 10, Mark chapter 10, verse number 27, Mark chapter 10, verse number 27, Mark chapter 10, verse number 27. I know what we're about to read is not the context of addictions. I know that. But the principle is true regardless. Okay. In Mark chapter 10, verse number 27, the Bible says, And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God, but with God all things are possible. Now again, the context of that is salvation. A man cannot save himself. It's impossible. But it's not impossible for God. It's possible for God. That's why He sent Jesus Christ to die for us. Okay. Salvation is possible through God alone. Now your addictions, overcoming your addiction, say it's impossible. Nothing's impossible for God. He's already made a way of escape for you. Okay. It's just that either you, I, you don't know at this point in time, or you do know, but you just refuse that way of escape. All right. Like some of us know, maybe the issue might be spending too much online. Maybe the issue is too much gaming or something, right? Whatever, whatever people get addicted to all sorts of things. Like even gamble online. You can pretty much only these things, behavioral things you can do online. And you know, man, if I just picked up that computer and smashed it, if I got a baseball bat out there and just smashed that TV, smashed that computer, smashed that phone, smashed that PlayStation. I know that's going to stop me. Cause that's going to be, it's very costly to replace. And I don't have the money on me right now to do. There's a way of escape there, but just can't do it. Sometimes that's what you look, you, you, you tell me, is this an addiction that you've had for years and years and years? I think it's time to pick up that TV and just smash it, destroy it. Okay. I'm not necessarily saying that takes that step one. Cause there might be other ways of escape that you haven't thought about, you know, just yet. So it's too expensive to destroy. It's destroying your life. It's destroying your life. So look, it's possible God's got a way. And you have to accept that. You have to get to a point in your life where you realize it is possible. I can overcome this addiction. I can do it with God though. If I try to do it without God, it's impossible. But with God, all things are possible. So remember that God has given you a way to escape. Can you come with me to Matthew 11, Matthew 11, Matthew 11, please. Matthew 11. While you're turning to Matthew 11, I'll just read to you from Philippians chapter four, verse number 13. Philippians 4, 13 says this very powerful verse. It says, I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. Now, of course, the all things there are righteous things. Again, I never thought I'd be able to preach. I never thought I could even, if I can't preach, how am I going to be a pastor? I, you say pastor, it's Christ who strengthened me to do those things. I never thought I could knock a door and give the gospel to a total stranger. It's Christ who strengthens you. It's true, like, you know, the strength from the Lord, you can do all things. Do you not think that God wants you to overcome your addiction? You can do it through Christ's strength. It can be done. You have to believe it. So I, you know, we say we believe the Bible. Specifically here in English speaking country, the King James Bible, we say it's a perfect and pure, preserved word of God without error. And I agree with that. Say that's what, you know, the basis of our faith and practice. Okay, well, why don't you put your faith and your practice on this, that you can overcome your temptation with Christ who strengthens you. You believe that. It's possible. And I know there's a part of you that says, I just can't, it's a flesh. You know the battle we have within ourselves. You know that battle. Probably right now you're thinking, I still can't do it, pastor. I know what you're saying is true in the Bible, but I'm just this different person. I'm like this, I don't know, strange creation. It doesn't, yeah, it applies to everyone else, but not to me. No, no, but all these things are common to man. All these temptations are common to man. You need to understand. You know, the battle you're having with your addiction is some, is a battle that another believer has had with addictions too. And they've overcome it by the power of Jesus Christ. You can do it too. Where did I get to turn? Matthew 11. I'll just read one more verse to you. And this is about Job. Job, what a great man of God. Is there a greater man sometimes in the Bible than Job? What a man of God, where God can even talk to the devil and say, have you seen my faithful servant Job? And God speaks about Job's integrity. What a man of God. Like, you know, it's almost like God's boasting of Job. Now, of course, it's not Job himself. It's him being a believer with the power of God in his life. With the work of the Holy Spirit, the guiding of the Word of God in Job's life. That makes him the faithful man that he is. But even Job has to say within himself in Job 31 verse 1, he says, I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? Even a great man like Job says, man, if I can get carried away with my eyes, I get addicted to certain things. Like pornography or something like that. Not being satisfied with his wife. And this is a great man of God. He says, man, I had to make a covenant with my eyes. Covenant's a promise. I had to tell my eyes, stop looking. That's how he overcame that. He said, eyes, we need to sort this out, eyes. We need to stop thinking about these things and looking upon. We need to be satisfied with the wife that God has given us. This is Job. And I love, I love reading these passages because when we fail and we think we're such losers, but then we read about great men and great women of God who as well have these issues. And if they can do it, if they can overcome, if they can make covenant with their eyes or whatever covenant you need to make with whatever body part you have, then it's possible. And you too can be someone of integrity like Job, where God speaks highly of you in heaven. Man, wouldn't that be beautiful to think, God, how do you speak of my name in heaven? Hopefully it's not where we got saved and that's it. He got saved, well praise God for that. But you know, how well are you living a life that pleases the Lord? You're in Matthew 11, verse number 28. And I want to read this passage again, a very common one. Because right now you're thinking it can't be done, it's too hard. Like taking that computer out and smashing it to pieces, it's too hard. But is it really too hard? Like if you asked your brother in the Lord that you trust, say, brother, I need to smash my computer. I won't tell you why. Just can you come to my house and smash it for me? I'll give you, you know, bring your baseball bat. Your brother-in-law will be like, yeah, easy. That's easy. And so that's probably easier than helping brother Oliver move house, right? Like being destructive is easier than being proactive and constructive, right? Like that's, it's actually, when you think about it, it's actually quite an easy step. Okay. And Jesus Christ says these words in Matthew 11, 28. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Look, addictions are these heavy laden burdens that you've got upon your shoulders. Just can't rise above it. Jesus says, look, just come to me. Verse 29, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Look, it's actually easier than you think. We have to go to Jesus and say, Jesus, I need to do it your way. Jesus, what is your way of escape? It can't be that hard because you promised me your way is easy. Your, your burden is light. Your yoke is easy, Lord. And I am heavy laden with these addictions. And to be honest, I probably do know the way of escape. I just can't bring myself to admit what it is, but it's probably a lot easier than you realize. That's my point that I'm making today, guys, is that remember, point number two is remember that God has given you a way to escape, okay? Now come with me to 1 Corinthians 15. Come with me to 1 Corinthians 15. While you're turning back there, just remember point number one is accept that the struggle is within yourself. Stop blaming external factors. Number two, remember that God has given you a way to escape. Number two, remember that God has given you a way to escape. It's not impossible. Don't have that attitude, okay? If you really want to overcome the addiction, stop saying it's impossible. And saying, God, you said it's possible with you, with your strength. 1 Corinthians 15 verse number 33. 1 Corinthians 15, 33. Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. What corrupts good manners? Evil, harmful communications. What you surround yourself with, the friends that you have around you. The Bible says, don't be deceived. Be not deceived. These things are going to corrupt your good manners. These are the things that's going to bring addictions in your life. Listen, point number three is identify and eliminate addiction reminders. Identify and eliminate addiction reminders. You put yourself in a situation and then you feel the addiction come. Why? Why has it arrived again? You've got to figure out what that is. Again, is it the computer? Is it friends? Have you got the wrong kinds of friends around you? If you're trying to overcome alcohol. Say, pastor, got rid of the alcohol out of my house. Okay, but do you have like beer openers and do you have little objects around your house that reminds you of alcohol? Get rid of that. Don't deceive yourselves. Oh, but it's a family heirloom that's been passed down and it's, get rid of it. Identify and eliminate addiction reminders. Again, this is the part where, okay, we focus on ourselves. We know we have a problem. We know we can fix it. We know it's not impossible with the strength of Jesus Christ. But now let's look at the external factors. Are you putting yourself in a position that brings that temptation and that addiction back into your life? Bringing that reminder back into your heart and into your mind. Don't deceive yourself. Don't think you can just deal with it. Right? Like the former drunkard. I've got no problems just walking into a pub and hanging out with my mates. Oh, I'll just drink water. I'll just drink coke and I'll be fine hanging around a pub with all my alcoholic mates. No, it's not going to work. You know you're going to give in today. I mean, how stupid are we to think we can just deal with that, surround ourselves with all kinds of things that reminds us of our addictions and then we just come through and it'll be fine. Maybe the first night you'll be okay. But you continue doing that, you'll be back to your old habits, your old addictions before you realise. And the Bible says, be not deceived. You've deceived yourself. No one else has deceived you. You've deceived yourself. Thinking you can just surround yourself with all these things that remind you of your addictions. Can you come with me to Hebrews chapter 12? Come with me to Hebrews chapter 12, please. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number 1. Identify and eliminate addiction reminders. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number 1. The Bible says, wherefore seen we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Brethren, I love this passage as well. The Bible reminds us that we're on this race and I always have to remind people, it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. Okay, you try to run a marathon by sprinting, you'd give up after a couple of hundred metres, you'll be done, you'll be finished. You'll be burnt out, never seen church ever again. It's a marathon run. But you know one thing that can stop you from running is every weight. Let us lay aside every weight. Does that mean every sin passed? No, no, because it says and the sin which doth so easily beset us. There are sins of course. We need to lay aside our sins of course. And many times addictions are sinful things. You know sometimes your addictions aren't sinful in of themselves but they're heavy weights that you have upon yourself and you need to better identify this is slowing me down in my spiritual race. Let's take OCD. Cleaning. I just got to clean, just constant clean, clean, clean. I just got to, I shook your hand, I got to wash my hands. You shook my hand, I got to wash my hands. Germs. Look, is there anything wrong with washing your hands? Is there anything wrong with having a clean house? No, but if that's what you're focused on, like just, you're just obsessed with that. It's going to destroy your relationships. It's going to destroy time you can have with people. You know, you know it's a problem that you've struggled with. You know it's an addiction. It's not sinful in of itself, but it's a weight that holds you down. It's an addiction holding you down from serving the Lord and walking his ways the way that you know you should. I want to read that. I wanted to read that to you because I want you to see it's not always a sinful thing, the addictions. They can be just non-sinful but you get so obsessed about it. And you know it's stopping you from running the race, running that marathon that God has set you on, stopping you in your spiritual growth. Identify and eliminate addiction reminders. You know, if it's spending, get that credit card and chop it into pieces. Throw it in the bin. You know, if it's TV, look at your subscriptions. Just cancel your Netflix, cancel your Hulu, cancel your Disney Plus, whatever it is that you're addicted to. I've just got to watch this show next season and when's it coming out? You know TV shows can be addictive. Is Home and Away still on? Neighbours? I used to watch that when I was a teen, young teen. Home and Away. I used to know the song and now I'm trying to sing it but I can't remember right now. I was like, what time is it on? It's on this time, we're gonna watch it. And then you look back at what kind of garbage was I watching? What kind of stupidity, what kind of rubbish is this? You get addicted. You know, and then what became addictions after that kind of stuff was reality television and watching Big Brother or watching Fear Factor or watching, I don't know, it's been so long since I really sit down and watch TV shows like that. And then it's progressed to social media. It's like this constant progression. Now it's about me. I'm on display, I'm on show, upload my photos. How many likes did I get? Oh, I'm having a bad day, why? Because only one person likes my posts. Do I feel that way sometimes when I preach a sermon and I get like one like on YouTube? Yeah, it can happen. I get 12 likes on one sermon and I get one like on one sermon. I go, man, I must have messed that up. I mean, I'm not that addicted. I'm not addicted. I don't care, really. As long as I'm preaching God's truth, that's what I care about. But you know what I'm talking about. Now you're on show. Your Facebook, your Instagram, your YouTube, your... Where's my brother? Brother Michael's not here. He's got all these names, right? Fake, fake, no, fake, fake book. And not YouTube, huh? Insta sham, insta sham and teller, no, teller sham. I can't remember anyway. Brother Michael's got all the words you can ask him when he gets back. But now you're on show and we're addicted to looking at other people's lives. What? Brother tells me that's been a busy body. What's my friend from high school? What's, you know, some girl that I used to like 10 years ago? What is she doing now in her life? And you know, what's that church? What's that pastor over there? What's this person over there? What about you? Your problems, your life, your race. Do you really think someone that's running a race is worried about every spectator and everyone else that's on there who's running? Look, they're given the best and they're focused on getting to the finish line as fast as they can. That's how you run a race. They're not worried about their addiction at that point in time, are they? Run the race. I've got to have a coffee. Where's my coffee? Coffee's going to slow them down. We need to identify and eliminate addiction reminders. I'm going to, come with me to Titus chapter two. Come with me to Titus chapter two. The Bible says in first John two, you go to Titus two. The Bible says in first John chapter two, verse number 15, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. What a powerful verse. Now, look, can I say there are things in this world that I love. In general, I love human beings. As a general rule, I do, because I think of human beings as God's creation. God's given them life. They will have a personality and Jesus died for, Jesus loved them so much, he died for every single human being. As a general rule, I love humans. I know we're wicked. We're probably the worst part of this world, but I just, I love God's creation. I love Sunshine Coast. I love how beautiful it is. How peaceful, how the traffic's not as bad as major cities and things like that. There are things that I love about this world. Even things that are sometimes fine and entertaining. I don't mind watching the World Cup soccer or something like that once in a while. I know there are things in the world that doesn't matter, right? The Bible, it's so powerful because we can realize, hold on, there is, there is a point where we get to the point where we just desire and love this society, this world, the ways of the world, you know? And look what it says in verse number 16. Oh, you're not there, sorry, I'll read to you. Verse number 16 says, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Okay, that gives us a definition of love in the world. Okay, so if you love the world and it brings forth the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, it says, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. So I want you to understand the things you're addicted to, it says the world passeth away, that's all going to pass away. Like for eternity, it's not going to matter. Like those things are not important at all. You're wasting your time. It says, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. What we do according to God's will abides forever. Because as we follow the will of God, he's going to reward us in eternity to come. Once you're saved, you're always saved. We're not talking about salvation. We're talking about our position and our riches in the new heaven and the new earth is dependent upon how well we are walking according to God's will. But your addictions are contrary to the will of God. We're so addicted to it, collecting the basketball cards, you know what, that's going to pass away. Oh, I've got to watch the next episode of program, whatever it is. That's going to pass away. Oh, I've got to go to the gym. I've got to go. I've got to work out. I've got to exercise my life. I can't do anything else unless I go. That's going to pass away. You're going to get new bodies anyway. Oh, my video game score. Do you think God's going to have that in heaven? He's got, oh Lord, you know, what's heaven going to be like? I got one room here, just PlayStations and Xboxes and all your high scores from the earth are still here. It's going to pass away. Garbage is what it is. That's what garbage is, right? Things that pass away. Things that pass through your body. You eat things that pass through your body to toilet. It's garbage. You have to, man, you got to say, pastor, my addiction is garbage. I'm loving the world when I should love my father. I need to love the things of eternity. The things of the new heaven, the new earth, the things that matter forever. Man, you got to look at your addiction as something that stopped. Oh, that's, I love that. It's given me pleasure. It's garbage. It's not going to matter once you're in heaven. Why are you wasting so much time focused on the wrong things? You're in Titus chapter two, look at verse 11. Titus chapter two, verse 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation have appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. The reason I wanted to read that to you is that God is teaching us, verse number 12, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. Look, God is teaching you this morning to deny your addictions, okay? And what do we do instead? You have to replace it with something else. That's why he says here, we should live soberly. So replace your ungodliness, replace your worldly lusts, replace your addictions with the following. Live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. Not just when you get to heaven. I'll be doing that one day now, in this present world. The next point I have, point number four brethren, is that you need to replace your habits with alternate activities. Replace your habits with alternate activities. You know what? When you get that sudden addiction, I've got to check Facebook. I've got to check what's going on. So now I've got to replace that. Okay, how do I replace it? Maybe I'll look up a sermon. I feel like I just, I need to get on a screen, pastor. Okay, type in all the preaching, I think it's called, allthepreaching.com, thousands of sermons, audio, video. You can put it on double speed if you want. Is that all the preaching guys? I know it's called allthepreaching.com. Go on there. Oh, you know, some other great website with great preaching of God's Word. All right, get your screen time. But get it with some God's Word pumping into your heart, into your ears, into your life. You got to replace your addictions with something else. Instead of walking around with a pack of cigarettes in your pocket, put a Bible in there. So when that desire comes, you got to work and, you know, it's smoke is break, whatever, and go, oh man, smoke is break. Pull out your sick, oh, Bible. Oh, okay, I'll replace that. Let's read the Bible. You've got to change what you're addicted to. Okay, change your habits. Can you come with me to Ephesians 5, Ephesians 5? Ephesians 5, please, Ephesians 5. The most common addiction to man is alcohol. Okay, it's many, many articles that are read, made, that's the number one addiction to most people, alcohol. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5, 18, Ephesians 5, 18. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. How do I overcome my addiction with alcohol? Be filled with the Spirit of God. Replace it. Say, but alcohol, I desire God instead. It gives me a buzz, it gives me a high, it gives me joy. Find joy in the Lord. It makes me forget my problems, the alcohol. Take your problems to God. Alcohol is not going to fix your problems. It's just going to make your problems worse. God can fix your problems. He promises to fix your problems. Take your problems to God, put it on his shoulders, and you're free. God will deal with it. You see, the answer to alcohol is the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit can give you a much better high, a much better vibe, much greater joy than anything, any substance can give you in life. I believe it because the Bible tells me. I thank God I've never struggled with alcohol. Like, oh man, I feel bad for people that struggle. Like, I'd rather be addicted to coffee or something, right? Like, I don't really hear about, you know, some accident on the road because the guy had so much coffee. It's often because, you know, he drank alcohol or something like that. Like, it's super destructive. But, you know, coffee can be addiction too. And I think, you know, I think it's wise, even as God's people, is God against coffee? No, it's not a sinful in of itself, but the addiction can be. I think if you're addicted to coffee, see if you can go a few weeks without it. Just try. And if you're like, ah, I got an addiction. It's true. Just say it with anything. The withdrawal symptoms. Oh, man, I was getting severe withdrawal symptoms during COVID when we couldn't come to church. I was like, I gotta be at church. I gotta be with God's people. But I think that's something that's righteous, isn't it? What's your Sunday morning look like? Do you go to church? Maybe you got some other addiction, something else that's taken up your mind. Come to church. Replace it with church. Replace it with hearing God's word. Look, I don't know. I don't think I'm going to label every addiction here, but at the end of the day, God's principles are applicable to every addiction in life. Did I get to turn somewhere? Where are we? Where are we in the Bible right now? We're in Ephesians 5. Okay, let's keep going there. Ephesians 5 18. We read that, be not drunk with wine. We're in his excess, but we feel the Spirit. I know we read these verses last week, but look at this. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Maybe you're addicted with the world's music. And again, I'm not going to sit here and say every song out there is wicked. There's a lot of songs that are just of the devil, giving allegiance to the devil, talking about drugs, talking about money, talking about sleeping around and fornication. Look, and you know, it's not like, I believe you probably don't even care. It's not the words that you care about. It's the tune. It's the beat. It's whatever it is. It's whatever it is, but you go back and you listen to it again and again and again. It's an addiction. Replace it with spiritual songs. Sing the praises of God. That's going to matter for eternity. Then you lift it up his name. And look, I know the hymns that we sing aren't going to be like number one top song in Australia or something like that, right? But it can be the number one top hit in your heart, teaching you God's word, showing, like loving him. I think if we all, we already admit we probably don't love God as much as we should. One thing that helps me love God more is singing his hymns, singing his praises, lifting up his name, reminding myself how great and loving my God truly is, that he gives me a way of escape to overcome my addiction. So replace your habits with alternate activities. Verse number 20 says, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's going to help you when you're addicted to something harmful and destructive. Let's say it's some drug like marijuana or cocaine or tobacco. And when you have that desire to pick, you know, take that drug, you go, hold on, Lord, no, no. Bible tells me to give thanks always. And I can't give you thanks for my addiction here. I can't give you thanks. You didn't give that to me. It's not a temptation you've given me. It's like giving God thanks for your life, for your family, for your job, for your friends, for whatever it is that you have, for your daily bread even. You start thanking God for the great things that he's done, you'll find that your desire for addiction is going to dwindle. Now that I just finished thanking God for everything, how can I go and smoke that cigarette? Changes your heart, changes your mind. You've got to rewire these brain, this brain. Replace your habits with alternate activities. You know, instead of going to the fridge and always eating that chocolate and that ice cream and that, you know, maybe grab a piece of fruit instead. Grab a celery or something. The last point that I have for you, come with me to Psalm 139. Thank you for your patience. I might go a bit overtime today, but Psalm 139, please. Psalm 139. Just remember, you can't hide your addiction from God. Okay, the Bible says in Psalm 139 verse number one, God knows when you're going to get up to do that addiction. God knows. He knows your thoughts are far off. He knows you're thinking about it. He knows you want to do it. He knows that the temptations that you're going through. You can't hide it from God is what I'm trying to say. God knows you better than you know yourself. Drop down to verse number 23, same Psalm. Lead me in the way everlasting. You know when that desire for the addiction comes? You say, man, I'm about to do it. Can you maybe take your Bible and open to Psalm 139 and remember that God knows your thoughts. He knows your heart. He knows your struggle. So is there any wicked way in me, God? Lead me in the way everlasting. That's your way of escape. Lord, what is the way of escape? Can you make it clear to me? What it is, Lord? Point number five is you need to select one or two accountability partners and one's got to be God. He really knows. You can't hide it from him. You got to talk. You got to go to someone. Say, look, I need you to hold me accountable. I've got an addiction. I've got this problem. And what's really helpful is when you can go to someone else, whatever, I don't have rules around this. Maybe it's a weekly thing. And say, brother, this week I didn't give in to my addiction. Praise God. The praise points. Brother, I gave in this week. Can you please pray for me? Could be a spouse. It ought to be our spouse. Really. I mean, we're meant to be one flesh. We're meant to love each other deeply and care for one another deeply. Say, pastor, I wouldn't be able to tell my spouse how to destroy a marriage, potentially. I'm happy to be your accountability partner. I've done it before. My brother might ring me pastor this week, struggling here or this or that. Pastor, this week I've done well. Praise the Lord. And I think it's wise, but make sure that God is always an accountability partner for you as well. Because God sees it all. I mean, cause at the end of the day, you can lie to a human being. You can't lie to God. But I think having one or two accountability partners is really helpful. Cause you feel like if I fail, if I give in to this addiction, you feel like you're failing other people instead of just failing yourself. You know? Can you come with me to Hebrews chapter four? Hebrews chapter four, please. Hebrews chapter four. Hebrews chapter four. The point of an accountability partner is not just to hold you accountable, but also to continue supporting you. Just, you know, if someone's come up to you, sister, brother, can you be my accountability partner? And you don't hear from them for a few days, just send them a little text message rather than praying for you. You know? Hey, you're able to overcome by the strength of Christ in your life. Maybe send them a Bible verse here and there. Just to bring them to remembrance a few things of the Lord. It's not a bad thing. I think it's a good process to go through. But the point of the accountability partner, if that person messes up, it's not to destroy them. Okay? Oh, you're gay. Like you're such a whore. I can't believe it. You're giving in again and I support them. You can do it, brother. Come on. The Bible told us. God made a way of escape for you. You can do it. Hebrews chapter 4 verse number 15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Wow. Christ was tempted in all points. He never sinned though. That's why we can go to him in verse number 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Time of need. You know what's a time of need? When you're about to give into your addiction. This is a time of need. I can come to God's throne boldly and my Jesus Christ, my saviour, he knows what it's like. He knows the frailty of man. He became man. He's my high priest. He intercedes for me. You go, Lord God, help me. He'll give it to you. He'll give you the grace. He'll give you the strength. He's the best accountability partner you can have. But if you need your pastor, I'm here for you. Okay. Like we know there are certain sins that will get you kicked out of church. Being a drunk is one of them. All right. But I've taught on this before. Like if you're strong with alcohol and you come to me pastor, I'm strong with alcohol. I need help. I'm not going to kick you out. Okay. Because you're trying to get things right. You're just struggling. You need some help. Obviously, if you have the attitude, I don't care. I'm going to drink up anyway. Whatever it is, I'm going to live this lifestyle. Obviously, by that point, I have to make some sort of decisions, right? But if I see your desire, you want to repent from that. You want to fix that. You know, you're driven and you know, you're on board and you're ready for me to direct you and give you some Bible verses to meditate on and to memorize. I'm not just going to kick you out of church. Like you don't have to be that afraid of me. As a pastor, I drank one beer and that's it. I'm out of church. Look, I'm happy to talk. Like it doesn't have to be me. You have another brother, sister, and the Lord in this church that you know loves you and wants to encourage you and build you up. You say, pastor, I got nobody. You got God. You got God. And you can come to His throne boldly. God knows your addiction already anyway. What are you going to hide from Him? You can't hide from Him. Just go to God and tell Him. Say, God, I need help. I probably even know the way of escape. I just can't deal with it. I can't face it. Can you give me the ability to just go that way? Help me find that escape route? Give me the ability, Lord, because I think it's impossible for me. But you tell me it's possible for you. Can you tell me it's possible for you? Can you give me the strength of Christ? Anyway, brethren, overcoming addictions. I want you to know it's possible. And if you're struggling with something this morning, you can overcome it. You can. God tells me you can. Don't listen to this pastor. I don't know. But God's Word says you can. He promises. He gives you the strength. He gives you the ability. You can run to Him. You don't have to be ashamed. He knows. He knows your weaknesses. Because sometimes shame keeps us away from God. Now you go to Him. Brethren, in conclusion, at five points. Number one, accept that the struggle is within yourself. Stop blaming other people. Number two, remember that God has given you a way of escape. Number three, identify and eliminate addiction reminders. Number four, replace your habits with alternate activities. And number five, select one or two accountability partners. All right, let's pray.