Bible Study June 9, 2021
Bible Study Series
Overcoming Additions and Authorities
Synopsis of Bible Study 06/09/21
Delivered by Pastor Bynum MDiv.
Classes of Additions
1. Chemical
2. Process (behavioral)
Addiction is a pleasure-based behavior that is out of control and causes harm to you.
What does addiction do?
1. Excitement and stimulation
2. Brings about tension reduction and comfort- In other words we feel it takes the edge off for us.
3. It is about control. Satan wants you to lose control. – When you are not in control, something else will be in control (of you).
What are the side effects of addiction?
Psychological cycle of addition
1. There is something that we desire that we know we should not. Think about a thing you have a desire for that you know you should not? Now that thing that you named needs a stimulus. It is there (inside of you), but it takes something to stimulate it (or open it up).
2. There is a pleasure that desires stimulus.
3. Once stimulus takes place, sadness kicks in. The sad thing is we start making preparations on how we can do it again. This creates temporary relief. This will weaken our will to resist it. To top it off, we have thoughts of doing it again. – This is how addition works. It is not in a bottle or a joint. In fact, it could be sitting on your pew, on your job, or in your phone right now!
People Who Study Addiction Say Its Causes Are:
1. Genetic
2. Personality
3. Parental teaching and example- This refers to what people taught you as you grew up. Example- Instead of asking our little sons if they have a girlfriend, we ask them how many girlfriends they have.
4. Social Pressure
5. Pain
6. Spiritual poverty
Eph 5:18– The bible does not say that we cannot drink wine, but it does say don’t let it control your mind. Why is this? It is because anything that controls your mind convinces you that it is greater than the God in you.
Paul says some things such as what is found in 1 Cor 6:12– Paul is saying that most everything is permissible, but not beneficial.
There is this sense. We must know ourselves. There is not anything in the bible that says you cannot drink wine. Some things are permissible, but not beneficial. You must know yourself and refuse to open your spirit to that which could be addictive.
How do we get to this?
1. Faith- In AAA, they make you believe in step one. You must admit that you are powerless and that you can be delivered by a power greater than you. This is process. Eph 2:8– We are saved by grace. We are in process.
2. Grace to me- John 3:36-We are saved, but it does not mean we do not struggle with stuff. How do we get through our struggles? It is by grace. Phil 4:13, Gal 5:13-Do not boast about it, but through grace, love one another. Do not make it and then look down on another who is struggling. The church is a place where addicted people ought to be able to come and get well. Some of us in church get self-righteous like we never struggled.
3. Repentance: is a change of the mind which leads to a change of behavior. R Kelly said when a woman’s mind is made up; there is nothing you can do about it. In other words, the only thing that can change some people’s mind is God.
Elements of Repentance
Confession, Commitment, and Contrition
1. Confession– I changed mind about my behavior; when I admit what I am doing is wrong. If the devil has convinced me that what I am doing is not wrong, I never come to repentance. There is a song that said the bible is right and somebody is wrong.
2. When we confess it is godly? Read Titus 3:3 when you get a chance. – We must get a place that we resolve to change and leave that bad behavior by replacing it with something good. What do you do with a person that comes into the church that has faced addiction? You give them something to do. An Idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
3. Commitment– Is to say, we are making ourselves accountable to somebody. Write down 3 people in your life that you are accountable to. These should people who are genially in your life that will call you and make sure you are holding it together. One of our biggest problems is that we do not want to be accountable to anybody.
4. Contrition- This is Godly sorrow. When we do a thing, we come to a place where we feel terrible about how it made God feel. God says he woke you up this morning, he gave you this and that, and the devil keeps coming trying to mess you up. Then he must watch us break his heart. It is only until you realize how it makes God feel that this type of repentance comes. Example– A boy was in trouble with his life. He could not get his life right. The boy was taken to the holding room and made to look at his mom cry. That is all it took for him to straighten out. It is this kind of realization that we must come to. We must realize how our participation to addiction grieves God.
Idolatry is the same as addiction. Anything that we love more than God points to an addiction. 1 Cor 10:7, 2Tim 3:4- What is it that you love more than God. What is it? What will get you up at 2 in the morning and keep you up all night long, yet we can’t stay in church for 2 hours? What will make you drop 20 dollars and yet you give 5 dollars in church. What will make you go in the snow and yet just the chance of snow will keep you from coming to church. What will keep you on the computer all night and yet you do not talk to God whom you say you love?
There Is Hope. Deliverance Is Available:
1. When we defend ourselves from the devil by the prayer of faith, we believe what we pray when we pray. Matt 6:13 – It is God’s power that will help us through this. We must learn to thank God for deliverance no matter how you get it.
2. When we resist the devil by speaking the word of faith out of our mouths. James 4:7– Jesus said it is written.
3. When we seek the prayers of other believers. The prayers of other believers, especially those with spiritual authority, are powerful enough to deliver- We need those that will take it to grave and then the cross.
4. God must be your greatest pleasure. Psalms 16:11-If we can just fall back in love with God, everything would be alright. Remember when you first got saved. You wanted to be involved in everything. You had your button and you wanted to change your license plate that read scriptures. You even had notes falling out your bible, but what happened? It was life and addiction. Now you have a lukewarm relationship.
It is Your Choice.
1. a. God will not mess with your free will. Romans 6:16-18– You got the power to control yourself. There is a difference between addiction and habit.
2. Addiction is loss of control and freedom, while habit is something that is active, but can be removed if desired.
3. If you must have coffee to function, it is an addiction. If you choose to drink it every day, it is a habit. How do you know if it is a must? If you choose you talk to it. If you must it talks to you.
4. Addiction- It has a word in it called diction (words) meaning it talks to you. People strung out say it all the time, “it was calling me!” Example – Samson was addicted to strange women, so Delilah laid in his lap and talked to him.
5. Addiction loves entitlement. Addiction will make you believe that you are entitled to it. Example – “ I just need this for me.“
6. All addictions are sinful. Illegal drugs and prescription both are sinful. You might not be strung out, but it is still sin. Nobody ends up being in this crazy stuff.
7. You got to stay away from sinful behaviors- 1 Thess 5:22-Be sure you check everything out. Anything that changes you from being who you are is an addiction. You were cool till you met this person, now we do not know who you are.
8. Exercise self-control- Bad company corrupts good morals. It does not mean you are not cool with a person, but some people will get you caught up in stuff you should not be caught up in. Matt 16:24-You got to get yourself out the way.
9. Walk by the spirit. – Gal 5:22-When we walk by the spirit, we crucify our flesh. Every day, we must make a conscious decision to die in the flesh.
The Power of God In Our Lives
1. Rom 1:16, 1 Thess 2:13-When we think of all the possibilities of addiction, alcohol, illegal drugs, and painkillers. It is all about cycle. This means we start using cocaine, meth, snort Freon from the air conditioner.
2. Overeating and eating disorders, gambling, sexual contact, risky behavior, arson, vandalism, the need for attention, codependency, sports, ego, power, work, greed, excessive exercise, electronic games, television, internet, shopping, hoarding, lying, kleptomania, a masochism (which is gratification from being abused), and sadism (abusing people in sexual activity) are all addictions.
3. God frees us from our addictions- Luke 4:18, Gal 5:1– If you been set free, act free. Who would get free and want to go back to slavery? God gives us endurance through our temptation. 1 Cor 10:13-God says he will give us an escape plan. Example- Codes makes it so your pathway is illuminated should an emergency come up in a building. In other words, when darkness comes, the exit signs will come light up. God says he will do just like this. He will light the way in our dark situations. When our way is dark, he gives us an exit strategy.
4. God gives us strength. 2 Cor 12:9, God will give you victory. 1 John 5:3-4-5, Roman 8:37– We opened by saying think of thing you were drawn to. It was that thing that you desired that you should not (addiction). Remember all you must do is ask God to deliver you.
Stay Informed.
Stay Safe.
Be Encouraged!
