When a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity that provides temporary pleasure and then such acts become compulsive and interfere with ordinary life responsibilities, he or she is said to be an addict. Addictive behavior is widespread and is one of the reasons many addicts turn to Christ for help. Jesus has a special message for them and a special plan to help them. As the body of Christ to our generation, shouldn’t the church be part of that plan?
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6/7/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Addicts Luke 4; Matthew 11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary When a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity that provides temporary pleasure and then such acts become compulsive and interfere with ordinary life responsibilities, he or she is said to be an addict. Addictive behavior is widespread and is one of the reasons many addicts turn to Christ for help. Jesus has a special message for them and a special plan to help them. As the body of Christ to our generation, shouldn’t the church be part of that plan? |
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Jesus loves people—all people: prostitutes, drug addicts, abusers—and you. This profound truth is at the very heart of the gospel. Jesus loves the unlovable and touches the untouchable, and during His time on earth, He was compassionate and merciful toward people from all walks of life. What would it be like if you personally encountered Him? Join Pastor Skip Heitzig in this series to learn more about God's radical love for you and fall more in love with the living Savior.
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We are talking about addiction for two reasons. First, because the church usually doesn't, choosing to remain silent on the issue or opting only to condemn. And second, sin is never a private matter; it impacts those around us emotionally and physically. Consider how King David's lust affected Bathsheba, her husband, and his own children. What about us? What behaviors do we repeat over and over again expecting a different result? Just one more swig, one more hit, one more look on the Internet? Webster's Dictionary defines addiction as the surrender of oneself to something obsessively and habitually. While addiction as we know it doesn't appear in the Bible, its meaning is present in other words: captive, slave, and prisoner. Interestingly, the only time the Bible uses the word addicted is when Paul described how the house of Stephanas was "devoted"—translated addicted in the King James Version—"to the ministry of the saints" (1 Corinthians 16:15). In other words, God's priorities were their priorities. The Bible says that our own nature—the flesh—poses the greatest danger when it comes to getting addicted to something that will pull us away from God and His priorities. Read Ephesians 2:1-3, 1 Peter 2:11-12, and James 1:13-15. We are all captives of sin whom Christ has set free. How are the before and after pictures of our lives presented?
Jesus has good news for addicts (see Luke 4:16-20). In the first public sermon of His ministry, Jesus quoted Isaiah 61, a prophecy that described everyone Jesus came to set free: the poor, brokenhearted, captive, blind, and oppressed. We all arrived in this world flawed. For some, the fleshly pull is profound and manifests itself in life-dominating sin that "so easily ensnares us" (Hebrews 12:1). Fortunately, Jesus made it clear that He came to "preach the gospel to the poor" (Luke 4:18). The gospel is good news! Jesus died, was buried, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven...for us (see 1 Corinthians 15)! He was sent to "proclaim liberty to the captives" (Luke 4:18). Captives refers to prisoners of war; Jesus has a special message for those who have been shelled by the enemy, taken captive in the bondage of addiction. Hope is the message—liberty and healing. Living the gospel is important, but when was the last time you actually proclaimed it to someone? How do you proclaim it?
Jesus also has a good plan for addicts (see Luke 4:18). In verse 18, Jesus described two related aspects of His mission: "to proclaim liberty" and "to set at liberty." In other words, He came to preach the good news and to promise a good plan. Jesus doesn't just have a nice sermon for addicts; He actually has a plan for their lives—freedom from addiction. How does He break the cycle? While He allows some people to be supernaturally and instantaneously freed from all addiction, it is more common for Him to set people free in a supernaturally natural way—His supernatural power working through natural processes. He cooperates with us to box in and shut down addictive behaviors. This "box" has four sides:
1. Accurate assessment: Don't underestimate your addiction. Be honest about the extent of your bondage. It will be an intense emotional roller coaster and a lifetime struggle.
2. Use overwhelming force: Use however many resources you need to overwhelm it. If you need 200 soldiers to capture the enemy base, use 8,000 so that there is no chance of failure.
3. Zero tolerance: Recovery is pass or fail. Everything depends on it. Make an agreement with yourself that you can never use again, drink again, or watch that stuff again—no matter what! For this third side of the box to be effective, the first two sides must be in place.
4. Trust in the highest power: Recovery programs talk of a higher power, but we must be more specific. Effectiveness in recovery is not just based on saying "no" to the menace, but saying "yes" to your Maker. As you learn of His love, experience His power, and interact with healthy believers, your trust in Him will grow. Addiction is like a light-sensitive virus—exposure to the pure light of Christ will kill it.
This four-sided box is a strategy of release to break the cycle of addiction. How can you apply it to an area in your life? Maybe it's time for you to change your playmates and your playground.
Lastly, Jesus has a good reputation among addicts (see Matthew 11:16-19). He was known for spending time with robbers, murderers, drunkards, and prostitutes (see Matthew 9:10). The religious leaders of the day wouldn't have been caught dead socializing with drunkards and prostitutes. Jesus, on the other hand, not only wanted to spend time with them—He died for them! They loved Him for that. We are called the body of Christ for a reason: just as His hands touched hurting people, so should ours. Just as His mouth spoke words of truth and healing, so should ours. Just as He listened to the cries of the captives, so should we. Jesus said, "As I have loved you...you also love one another" (John 13:34). We must become His army of love, addicted to loving all who are addicts! We must feed our spirit rather than our flesh and encourage others to do the same. Pray that God will use you to be the person an addict trusts enough to break their isolation. Listen well, and encourage them to build that four-sided box.Adapted from Pastor Skip’s teaching
The BIG Idea
"The power of the gospel in four words: Christ died for me!" --C.H. Spurgeon
Figures referenced: Albert Einstein, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, John MacArthur, Charles Wesley
Cross references: 2 Samuel 11; Isaiah 61; Matthew 8:2-3; 9:9-13; 11; Mark 1:40-41; Luke 4; 5:12-13; 15:1; 19:1-7; John 3:19-21; 13:34; 1 Corinthians 6:12; 15; 16:15; Ephesians 2:3; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:14; 1 Peter 2:11
Date | Title | Watch | Listen | Notes | Share | Save | Buy | |
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1/25/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves People Mark 10:21;Philippians 1:8-10 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Welcome to our new weekend series, Jesus Loves People! For the next many weeks, we will observe how Jesus' love for people was displayed and conveyed to a cross section of society. We will see Him as He loves the most religiously devout folks to the weak and doubting, from the prostitutes to the priests, from the bewildered to the brokenhearted. We will marvel at His love for thieves, murderers, and atheists. In each message, we will consider how we as God's people can show authentic love to people within each group. |
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2/1/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Doubters Matthew 11; John 20 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Jesus never turned away the questions of a sincere searcher. I have personally wrestled with issues of faith and doubt on a number of occasions. Oswald Chambers quipped, "Doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong; it may be a sign that he is thinking." Today we will see how Jesus loved two doubters—both of whom were friends of His. |
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2/8/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves the Broken John 5:1-16 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Just about everyone who has ever lived has experienced a broken heart to some degree or another. But then there are others who have been affected so adversely by events in their lives that they can be described as broken people. We can respond by questioning why God allows bad things to happen or by loving the broken in His name and thus being part of the solution. |
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3/8/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Homosexuals - Part 1 John 8:1-11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary There is not a hotter or more controversial subject being discussed today in our country than homosexuality. Voices are loud and tempers run hot whenever this subject is mentioned. Although the text before us doesn’t deal specifically with homosexuality, it does show us how Jesus approached a woman caught in sexual sin and what He had to say to those who were quick to condemn her. |
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3/15/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Homosexuals - Part 2 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Be assured that I didn't select the topics in this series because I am equating homosexuals with murderers; nor am I suggesting that addicts or homeless people are to be seen the same as terrorists. It’s simply that the church has historically been unkind to these groups, and we believe it is time to make the statement that Jesus loves all people. In today’s text, we see it clearly: everyone has some kind of past, and everyone can be freed from sin. |
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3/22/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Haters Matthew 5:43-46;Luke 9:51-56 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary One of the worst things to ever hear or say are the words "I hate you." And since Jesus is the One who God sent to show love to the world, how He handled haters is significant. Today we will explore and hopefully apply two important lessons. Hatred can flow in two directions: hatred towards you and hatred from you. Jesus shows us what to do about both. Get ready by turning to two passages: Matthew 5 and Luke 9. |
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3/29/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Traitors Matthew 26 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a traitor as "one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty." On this Palm Sunday, I've chosen to consider in contrast the two traitors seen side by side in the New Testament accounts of the Passion of Christ. Though we may see some similarities in Judas and Peter, they are separated by one giant factor—the cross of Jesus Christ, the one thing that still offends most people. |
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4/12/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Atheists John 18:28-38 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Yes, Jesus loves people who don't believe in Him or who aren't sure what they think about Him. Pontius Pilate was the cynical Roman governor of the district of Judea. He was unsympathetic to religious Jews and religion itself. He had no room for the superstitious claims of prophets, priests, or would-be messiahs. He was a secular pragmatist concerned about Roman order and personal advancement. Pilate also represents how Jesus loved and handled atheists—and how we should. |
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4/19/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Prostitutes Luke 7:36-50 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary It was Blaise Pascal who noted, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus." In our text today, we find a woman, the city prostitute who acutely felt the need to have the vacuum of her heart filled. She discovered that Jesus loved her with a wholesome love—the kind of love every woman is searching for. |
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4/26/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Murderers Luke 23:33-34 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary A Jewish proverb reads, "Blood that has been shed does not rest." And yet there is rest that is possible for even the worst murderers of all time—those who killed Jesus Christ—if they would be willing to receive it. In two verses of Scripture, we will examine how Jesus loves murderers, even those who murdered Him. |
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5/3/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Criminals Luke 23:33-43 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary A lengthy seventeen-year study in Washington, D.C. by psychiatrist Samuel Yochelson shows that crime cannot be traced to environment, poverty, or oppression but to people making wrong moral choices. Corresponding to that is another report showing that the lack of proper moral training by parents has a direct correlation to crime, especially to children in their formative years. But when parents and their offspring fail, Jesus can step in to rescue. |
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5/17/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves Terrorists Acts 9:1-16 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary One magazine noted that "religious terrorism is the communism of the 21st century, the most serious international threat to human rights." I am aware that the title of this sermon is a strange one, and it's even stranger to think we should be told to love terrorists. Today we consider the stark reality of terror in our world and what a proper biblical response to it is, and we see the conversion of a terrorist who became Christianity's most celebrated cleric. |
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6/28/2015 completed
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Jesus Loves People, BUT... Romans 2:1-11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary In this last message of our series Jesus Loves People, we want to bring equilibrium to the series itself. It’s true that God loves people. It’s equally true that He hates evil and the practice of it. Today we want to show how both the wrath of God and the love of God are integral parts of the nature of God Himself. This is crucial so that we don’t distort Him to the world and mislead people eternally. Let’s consider three requirements for representing the God who loves people. |
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