LIFE Lesson 15 - Addictions: Dead and Buried

Praise the Lord, and welcome back. I'm Pastor Mike, where we continue our journey through the 40 lessons that makes up the curriculum for Life Ministries. In this video, I'm going to be teaching from lesson number 15 in the 40-week curriculum. Now, in the previous lesson, we looked at, of course, lesson number 14. That was about a change of direction, and we talked about repentance and what repentance is. I hope that David's example to you has been an encouragement. We read from Psalm 51, and we noted that David was a man after God's own heart. He's described that way. In fact, David was the first king of God's choosing for the nation of Israel, his chosen people, and yet David failed miserably. We think about the bullseye and what we should be aiming for to glorify God. It's not only you and I that fall short, but everybody falls short from time to time in hitting that bullseye, even King David, even a man who's described as a man after God's own heart. David failed miserably, and yet God still loved him, and God was willing to restore him. And when David cried out to God, as recorded in Psalm 51, in brokenness and in repentance, God restored him and God forgave him. And so I hope that you spent some time meditating, really thinking about Psalm 51 and what that means, as David gives us the example of true biblical repentance. And I hope that you're already there in your relationship with God and in your recovery. Now, in this lesson today, in lesson number 15, and in the following lesson, lesson number 16, these two lessons are two of the longest lessons in the 40-week curriculum. And the reason why that is so is because these two lessons deal with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus is at the very foundation of our recovery, our transformation, and our forgiveness before God. If it was not for the gospel, none of us would have hope for transformation. We'd be lost in our sins forever. And so the gospel is foundational of vital importance, and it's important that we understand what the gospel is. Because in this world in which we live, there's one group over here that says the gospel is this, and then we've got another group on the other side that says, nope, the gospel is this. We've got the full gospel, and we've got the part gospel, and we've got false gospels. And so let's begin today by identifying what the gospel is. In fact, the Word of God gives us the definition for what the gospel is. The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. This chapter is known as the Resurrection chapter. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15, I'm going to begin in verse 1. Paul's

writing to Christians, he's writing to the church at Corinth, and he says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 in verse 1, Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preach to you, which you have received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word that I preach to you, unless you believed in vain. Now listen to this. For I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according with the scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time. And Paul goes on and he talks about the different appearances of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he starts this chapter by talking about the fact that he preached the gospel. And what is the gospel? Well, again, according to the Apostle Paul, he says that Christ was buried, and that he was raised the third day. Christ's death, burial, and resurrection is the gospel. You add nothing to it, you take nothing away from it. God loved us so much, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. The gospel is the fact that God became a man, he died on the cross, he was buried in a tomb, and he rose again the third day for you and for me. Now, that text in 1 Corinthians 15 is not in today's lesson, so that's a supplement to the lesson as we get into this lesson today and start talking about the gospel. Lesson number 15 is entitled Addictions, Dead and Buried. Now, Romans chapter 6 and verse 6 is the first printed text that we have for this lesson. Paul's writing to the people at Rome, and he says in Romans chapter 6 and verse 6, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, talking about with Jesus on the cross, that the body of sin might be dead. done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. In this curriculum, from time to time, we talk about the importance of making sure that what we believe and what we think is true according to what God says. We need to make sure that we're focused on the truth. When it comes to our recovery, we need to understand what God says about our recovery. There is hope for lasting change. We look at ourselves and think about ourselves, our identity. Our identity is found in the one who created us. Who does God say that you are? We need to look at the world through the lens of Scripture and see the world the way that

God sees the world. We need to understand God, and our perception of God needs to line up with the truth of Scripture. We need to make sure that we understand what is true according to who God is, what is true according to who we are, what is true according to our struggles, and the hope for everlasting transformation. We need to see our own sinful habits and our strongholds and our addictions the way that God sees those. We need to see through the lens of Scripture to see things truthfully according to God. That's so important. I keep stressing that because Jesus said in John chapter 8 and verse 32 that you would know the truth and that the truth will set you free. If the truth sets you free, then a lie is going to put you in bondage. We've got to make sure that what we're believing is true according to what God says. Let me ask you a question. What is the greatest sacrifice that a person can make? I want you to think about that a moment. What's the greatest sacrifice that a person can make? Scripture tells us, recorded in John chapter 15 and verse 13, what is the greatest sacrifice that a person can make. In John 15, verse 13, it says, greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. What's the greatest sacrifice somebody can make? That's to be willing to lay down their life for their friends. When I think about what Jesus did for us, he went to the cross and he died for us, but he also died as us. When he went to the cross and he died, that horrible death of crucifixion, he did that before we were ever his friends. He died for us, gave his life for us when we were yet his enemies. We were opposed to God.

We were outside of Christ, and yet God still loved us that much. He was willing to go to the cross and lay down his life for us. We think about the crucifixion, I think most people that understand anything about the gospel would quickly agree that Jesus died for our sins on that cross. But he didn't just die for us on the cross. He died as us on the cross. And when you truly understand that truth, that he died in your place as you, as your substitute on that cross, that does miraculous things for your recovery. That's what we're talking about in this lesson. The impact of the crucifixion, the death of God Almighty in the person of Jesus Christ. Again, I love John 3.16, I never get tired of it. It's one of the first verses I ever memorized. If you've not memorized it, I challenge you to put it to heart. The Bible says in John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That life I don't have to wait for. The moment I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, man, I have eternal life deposited in my soul. I don't have to wait for it. That promise in John 3.16 is not talking about something I'm going to get when I die. It's talking about something I get the moment I put my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I get to live forever. I have that eternal life in me. And everlasting life, eternal life, is not just talking about the length of life, that it goes on and on and on, but it also refers to the quality of life. You know, in John chapter 10 and verse 10, that verse that the life program is based upon, Jesus said, I've come to give life and to give it more abundantly. That abundant life, that's for here and now. That's not for the sweet bye-bye.

That's for the nasty here and now, all right? You can begin to experience that right now through faith in Jesus Christ. You can enter into that abundant life. Jesus died on the cross paying a sin debt for you that you could not pay, but also dying in your place. And what that means is when we receive that biblical truth, it means the person I used to be before I came to saving faith in Jesus Christ is dead, man. Jesus died in my place as me on that middle cross. That old me is dead. And so it's gone. It should have no impact on my life. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21, it says, for he made him, that's talking about God made Jesus who knew no sin. To be sin for us that we might receive the righteousness of God in him That's 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21, you know back in lesson number 11 We talked about the fact help I've been snake bitten We've all been bitten by that serpent of sin all every single one of us We have this inherent sin nature within us We're born with that problem ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden We've been bitten by the snake of sin all of us suffer from this poison that runs through our bloodstream the fact that we're sinners Separated from God. We need forgiveness. We need reconciliation and God loved us so much he loved the world so much that he became that bridge for us by dying on the cross as You as me, you know when we think about the gospel and what it means and when we were exposed to the gospel and we Understand that Jesus died in our place on that cross man it just brings power and assurance and an encouragement into my Transformation into my recovery when I remember, you know, the old me is dead man It died on the cross so long ago in the person of Jesus. He took my wrath He took my judgment and so when I feel the temptation to want to go back to the person I used to be I

Can overcome that I need to remember no, wait a minute, even though I've got that influence don't want to relapse I don't have to do that. I've got a power in me now to overcome that person is dead Died on a cross when Jesus died there for me and he cried out cried out in victory from that cross. It's finished That was a victory cry Everything that needed to be done For you to be saved and for you to be transformed for you to break out of these strongholds out of these addictions Has been done when Jesus shouted from that cross. It is finished He meant everything that needs to be done for your recovery for your transformation for your salvation has been complete on the cross of Calvary when Jesus died as you and as Me on that cross he became sin for us that we might be righteous A.w. Tozer who was was an American pastor and an author well-known. He passed away back in 1963 he's well known for his sermons and his writings and his books. Listen to what a W Tozer said about this He said the cross will cut into our lives where it hurts worst Sparing neither us or our carefully cultivated Reputations, it will defeat us and bring our selfish lives to an end There is a tremendous blessing Right now in the present through Christ's death in the past. There's freedom from past behaviors There's deliverance from addictions drug addiction Alcoholism whatever your stronghold has been in your life when we think about and receive the truth that Christ died in your place on that Cross to set you free. He got hung up for your hang-ups. All right, he died to break the chains that are holding you captive There's great power in receiving that truth What do you think about when you think about the cross and what happened so long ago when Jesus hung on that cross? Yeah for me many people when they think about the cross, well, it's that it's that beautiful piece of jewelry They wear around their neck on a necklace or bracelet or it's that image of Christianity But really the cross is like the electric chair. It was a symbol of execution It was a symbol of one of the most torturous deaths One of the most shameful deaths that somebody could die as a convicted criminal worthy of death The cross was not something to be Embraced before Jesus went to it and died in our place. It was something to be rebuked It was something to scoff at it was something to run from and yet when Jesus died on that center cross as you and as me

In our place now the cross becomes something beautiful for us as believers because we understand what happened on that cross Our old person died on that cross. It was crucified on that cross We don't have to live the way we've always lived we don't have to continue to be pulled back into old patterns What is your response to the cross? What do you think about when you think about the cross you want to think about the biblical? Record of the crucifixion of Christ and the individuals that were present there Personally around the cross. I think about all the different responses that were made concerning the cross And I wonder as we briefly note these together in this lesson, what will be your response to the cross? What will be your response in your addiction in your strongholds in your struggles to what happened on that cross so long ago? First of all, I think about pilot. He was a politician. He was a Roman governor I think about his response to the crucifixion to the cross Listen to Matthew chapter 27, beginning in verse 15. The Bible says, Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. See that's a good politician. Whatever the crowd wants, you know, he'll bend with the wind, whichever way the wind is blowing. It says in verse 16, And they had then a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, Who do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ? For he knew, Pilate knew, that it was out of envy that they had delivered Jesus up. Besides, when he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release to you? And they said, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all said, Let him be crucified. And he said, Why, what evil has he done?

But they shouted all the more, Let him be crucified. So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am innocent of this man's blood, see to it yourselves. And all the people answered, His blood be on us and on our children. Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. Pilate the Roman governor, what a picture of a politician. He'll do whatever the crowd, whatever is going to please the crowd. He's all about that. And Pilate knew, the text in Scripture in Matthew 27 is clear. Pilate knew Jesus hadn't done anything wrong. He'd certainly not done anything worthy of death. Even Pilate's own wife came to him before he made this judgment and released Barabbas to the people. Pilate's wife came to him, and Pilate's wife warned him. She said, Honey, I've had some nightmares about this man, Jesus. Don't you have anything to do with this? And so Pilate goes before the people as a good politician. He says, I want to release a prisoner. I can release Jesus, who hadn't done anything wrong, or I can release Barabbas, a convicted criminal. Who do you want me to release? And the crowd had already been incited by the religious Jewish leaders to demand that Jesus be crucified, and so they began to shout out, Release Barabbas. And so Pilate asked them a second time, Who do you want me to release, Barabbas or Jesus? And they cry out, Release Barabbas. And so Pilate says, Well, what shall I do with Jesus, who is called the Christ? And the people shouted out, Crucify him. Crucify him. And then scripture says that Pilate went to a basin of water, and he washed his hands

symbolically, saying, I'll have nothing to do with the blood of this innocent man. Isn't that something? Pilate thought that he could be neutral. Pilate thought that he could be indifferent when it came to what happened or what was getting ready to happen on the cross, the crucifixion of Jesus. Let me tell you something. You can't be neutral. There's no neutral when it comes to the gospel. Either you receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and believe in who he was and what he did on that cross when he died in your place, or by default, you're going to reject him. Either you're a friend of God or you're an enemy of God. Either you've accepted Christ or you've not accepted Christ. And so when I look at Pilate here, he was present, he was involved in the trial and the crucifixion of Jesus, and yet he thought he could remain indifferent, that he didn't have to make a decision. There's no such thing as a neutral position when it comes to the gospel. I wonder concerning you, what's been your response? What's your position? What's your response to the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross? You can't be indifferent. If you've not accepted Christ and understood in faith what he's done on that cross for you, by default, you've rejected him. You've said no to him. And so there's no place for indifference when it comes to what took place on that cross. I see another response to the cross around the crucifixion of Jesus, not only indifference, but I also see a careless attitude. And I see this among the soldiers that actually had the responsibility of nailing Jesus on the cross. See if you can figure out or listen to how the soldiers respond in carelessness. Their hearts are so hardened, they are not even fazed by this man dying on this cross

before them. In Matthew 27, beginning of verse 27, it says, Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him. saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit on him, and took the reed, and struck him on his head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to be crucified." These soldiers, these Roman soldiers that had been given the responsibility, it was their job to crucify men who had been condemned to death. No doubt these soldiers had crucified many prisoners, no one quite like Jesus, but they had crucified many men. They saw them hanging on a cross, the life actually flowing out of them as the blood would flow from their hands and their feet. And here they are, crucifying the God in human flesh, the Savior of the world. And the Bible says that they mock him. They put a crown of thorns on his head, mocking him, laughing at him, saying, Oh yeah, you really look like a king. You profess to be a king. Look at you now. He was beaten with a cat of nine tails. He was laughed at. They spit upon him. They struck him in the head with that reed, struck that crown of thorns that was on his head, and caused those thorns to sink down deep into his scalp, no doubt all the way to the skull. They mocked him, put a robe on him, and said, Oh, ha, ha, you really look like a king. How could these soldiers do this? They had witnessed so many people being crucified. Their hearts were hardened towards this. They weren't fazed by this man on the center cross who was dying for the sins of the world. So hard-hearted. You know what sin will do? Sin will cause you to be hard-hearted. Think about any kind of habitual sin in your past. You know, when you first committed that sin, you first did that wrong. Maybe you felt convicted. Maybe you felt guilty. But then you go back and you do it again. You don't feel quite as bad as you did the first time. And then you repeat it over and over and over again until finally you get to a place where you're not even fazed by it. Your heart is so hardened. You're so indifferent towards it. It doesn't bother you anymore. You're not convicted by it anymore. That's these soldiers. They're so careless in their attitude towards God.

You know, Pilate thought that he could maintain a position of indifference, that he didn't have to make a decision. These soldiers, on the other hand, they're so hard-hearted, they're not even bothered by what's taking place here. They're not even fazed by it. They're playing a game at the foot of the cross. When Jesus hung there on that cross, the Bible goes on in Matthew 27, 35, and it says, When they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put this charge against him, which read, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. The attitude of these men is amazing to me, how they could crucify a man under such torture and not be fazed by it, beating him so bad that the Bible says that Jesus hardly even looked like a man anymore. I'm wondering if the cross, maybe life, maybe sin in this world, maybe your past lifestyle has hardened your heart so much that when you see the cross, you're not even fazed by it, just like these soldiers. You don't even stop to ponder the fact that what happened on that middle cross in your place as a sacrifice for your sin that you might be forgiven and set free from your addictions and your strongholds that you can receive that abundant life that Jesus offers you. You can't have an attitude of indifference like Pilate. Don't have a careless indifference like these soldiers where you forget what happened on that cross, the reality of the crucifixion of Jesus in your place. And then around the cross, I also see the attitude of unbelief, of unbelief. Those who were passing by that day as Jesus hung on that cross. You know, the Bible says Jesus wasn't crucified on a back road somewhere or a back alley. He wasn't crucified in private. He was crucified out by a public road. And that's the way they did crucifixions. They would do it in public places to warn the population, to warn the public, don't come against us. Don't come against the authorities. Don't be a lawbreaker because this is what can happen to you. And so Jesus was crucified by a busy road. And people going by that day saw Jesus hanging on that cross. Just listen to the text in Matthew 27, verse 39. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads. That means they mocked him. They're shaking their heads at him as they go by on the road. And they're saying, you who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are the son of God, come down from the cross. So also the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him saying he saved others. He cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel. Let him come down from

the cross and we will believe him. He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now. If he desires him. For he said, I am the Son of God. And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way." The attitude of unbelief. Those going by on the road, mocking him, shaking their head. The scribes, the Pharisees, the religious leaders, oh, he says he's the Son of God. If he's really the Son of God, let God take him down off of that cross. Unbelief. The sin of unbelief. You know, that's the one sin that will send a person to hell. That's when you refuse to believe in what Jesus Christ has done for you, and who Jesus Christ is. And that he went to the cross and he died in your place. The attitude of unbelief. Don't skim over this carelessly. Think about what it means. Think about your heart and your attitude towards the cross. Your response to the cross. What you think about when you see the cross and think about the cross. In 1 John 2, it says, and he himself is the propitiation. That word propitiation means our substitute dying in our place. He is our propitiation for our sins, and not for ourselves only, but also for the whole world. How do you receive him? And the crucifixion. 1 John 4.10 says, in this is love. Not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. That English word propitiation in both of those verses is translated from a Greek word that means to become our substitute. That's what happened on that cross. He died as you. You don't have to allow that old man to continue to control you and to reign in you. When you come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, you're a new creation. Galatians 2.20 says I have been crucified with Christ. This is Paul speaking. He says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Paul says, I have been crucified with Christ. I've been to many funerals over my over 32 years of pastoring churches. I've been in many funeral homes. I've been to many gravesides. I've looked down in an open casket as a lifeless dead body just lying there before me. And I can tell you, I've never seen a dead person do anything. They're not breathing. They're not moving. They're not speaking. I mean, they're dead. When I received the biblical truth that Jesus died in my place, that means the person I used to be is dead. He should have no power in my life anymore. He should not have any dominance in my life anymore. That person outside of Christ is dead. Paul wrote in Romans 6, verse 6, knowing this,

that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with. That's the old person you used to be. 2 Corinthians 5.21 says, for he made him, God made him, God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. The only way we can be righteous before God is because Jesus became our substitute on that cross. He died in your place. Colossians 3, verse 5 says, therefore put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. You know what Scripture's telling us? We need to make sure that we keep the old person in the grave, and we keep Jesus Christ on the throne. That old person is not to be in control of me anymore. Jesus Christ is on the throne now. He died as me on that cross. He's supposed to rule. He's supposed to dominate my life right now. I surrender to him. That means I put away all the bitterness, all the unforgiveness, all the unrighteous anger, all these things that used to well up in my heart, I put those off. They're part of the old man. I don't want revenge. I don't want to hurt people around me. I want to be more like Jesus. I want to forgive those that wronged me. The Bible says in Philippians 3, verse 13, I love this text, it says, brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do. Now, this is Paul writing. He says, I'm not boasting. I'm not bragging. I'm not saying that I perfectly arrived, but Paul says, one thing I do know, one thing that I do do is that I forget those things which are behind, and I reach forward to those things which are ahead. Paul's using the language here, the wording of an athlete, like running a track, man, and it's the words that's used like if you're watching a race, and these guys are running on this track, and they're on this last lap, and they see the finish line right in front of them, they're giving at everything they've got man they're stretching every muscle man their legs are stretched out they're giving it all they got you can see the blood veins in their neck and running down their back and their legs and every muscles distinguished there as they press forward with all that they've got that's what paul is saying he's saying one thing i do i'm forgetting what's behind me and i'm reaching forward that's that word he's giving it everything that he's got pressing forward to those things which are head there's new life there's a new identity that awaits you in christ jesus if it wasn't for what jesus did on the cross when he died for me but he died as me to set me free from the old man the person i used to be before i came to saving faith man i'm telling

you there's power in that and so even today when i'm tempted to go back when i'm tempted to go back into the old ways of living i'm tempted to see him i don't want to give into that sin i got to remember you know that's just the influence of that old man that old man is dead man he when christ died that was me i died on that cross i don't have to give in to the influence of the person i used to be i can choose to walk now in resurrection power now that's the next lesson we've got resurrection power jesus died as you on the cross and when he came forth from the grave from the dead on the third day with resurrection power he also did that in your place as well that's the next lesson let's pray dear heavenly father we're so grateful for the gospel thank you for dying for us and thank you for dying as us and when we in faith we lord we identify with this gospel and what you've done in our place on that cross so long ago lord it has it brings so much power and assurance lord encouragement to our lives here and now in the present lord help us to receive it help us to believe it when we're tempted to fall back into old ways lord renew our mind help us to remember i don't have to allow the influence of who i used to be to control me any longer that's not who i am i'm a born again believer now i'm a child of god that old man is dead he died on the cross over 2 000 years ago and lord i thank you that's not the end of the story i'm excited about the next lesson lord because i find such a blessing in thinking and praying and singing and and and just meditating on the resurrection the power that brings us lord the power for chains to fall off for captives to be set free for us to live a transformed life that's found in the gospel thank you for dying in our place and lord god thank you for being resurrected in our place and for that resurrection power you offer us right now in jesus name amen