Twelve Steps

Twelve Steps

February 24, 2008

Introduction

I’m sure most of you have a looked at the back of your bulletin and seen the title of our thought today, “Twelve Steps.” I think most of us recognize that immediately as coming from Alcoholics Anonymous. In our Wednesday evening lesson, I mentioned the sale of beer in the same building as Jack in the Box. A lengthy discussion followed. I mentioned that I did not bring my lesson on alcohol with me, and I hadn’t. This morning, we want to look at alcohol as well as other things to which we may become addicted.

Body

I. What is an addition?

A. Let’s consider the first statement in the twelve steps:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.

1. Notice the statement: “we were powerless over alcohol”

2. An addition is something that basically has control over us.

B. Paul spoke of being under the power of something as he wrote to the Corinthians.

(1 Cor 6:12 NKJV) "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."

1. Paul wrote of becoming slaves to sin.

(Rom 6:16 NKJV) "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?"

C. How does the dictionary define an addition?

addiction: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

[Origin: 1595–1605; < L addictiōn- (s. of addictiō) a giving over, surrender.

II. To what are people addicted?

A. The list is long:

1. Alcohol

2. Drugs: illegal and legal’

a. Probably the most common and acceptable is caffeine

b. Then there is tobacco

c. Some become addicted to various prescription drugs.

d. We are all aware of numerous illegal drugs that have lead to prisons being full of those involved in drugs, and many have died.

3. Gambling

4. Pornography

5. Sex

6. Even Workaholics.

B. Is there, or was there, a way to avoid an addition?

1. Those that are not intended as an essential part of our lives, they could have been avoided by never starting there use.

2. We can avoid being an alcoholic by never taking the first drink.

3. The Bible does not condemn drinking as such.

a. Jesus turned water to wine at the marriage feast.

(John 2:9-10 NKJV) "When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. {10} And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!""

b. Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for medicinal purposes.

(1 Tim 5:23 NKJV) "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities."

4. Still our safest course today is to avoid all alcohol of all kinds.

III. What are we to do if we have been overcome by an addition?

A. Consider what is said in the twelve steps we are discussing this morning.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

(1 Cor 6:9-12 NKJV) "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, {10} nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. {11} And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. {12} All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

(1 John 5:4 NKJV) "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith."

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

(2 Cor 13:5 NKJV) "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?; unless indeed you are disqualified."

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

(James 5:16 NKJV) "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

(James 4:7-8 NKJV) "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. {8} Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

(Rom 12:2-3 NKJV) "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. {3} For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Again, (James 4:7-8 NKJV) "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. {8} Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

(Mat 9:36-38 NKJV) "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. {37} Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. {38} "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.""

Conclusion

I. Do we have additions that we need to get rid of?

II. Do we know of others whom we need to help with the gospel?

III. Have you turned your life over to God?

Bible Study with Harley Sermons I have Preached

Hit Counter