Michael Youssef - Freedom From Bondage
I had an opportunity to watch an interview with Dr. Patrick Carnes, who is recognized as the foremost authority in this country in this whole issue of sexual addiction, and pornography, and pornographic addiction. He heads up that famous clinic in Mississippi known as Pine Grove. But his description of where we are as a culture in this regard is enough to send shivers in the spine of every parent and every grandparent who's sitting here today. He called this type of addiction the tsunami that could threaten the human race, and I don't think this man is given to exaggeration. He said, among other things, that two-thirds of kids are watching pornography while they're doing their homework. Thirty-four percent of them will become addicts.
Now we see why he calls it the tsunami that's about to hit our nation. Among other things, he said there is no spouse in the whole world that can live up to the expectations of pornography and pornographic expressions. Then he said while nicotine can stay in the brain of a person when he smoke his or her 1st cigarette, 30 days linger in the brain, he said pornography lingers in the brain after just one scene for months. And imagine the repeated actions. Pornographic addiction moves, he said, in a downward direction, which leads to addiction and bondage. He said this all starts as an impulsive act, then it goes into a compulsive behavior, and then ultimately into a full-blown addiction.
Forty percent of the men... listen carefully, mom and dad. Forty percent of men state that they started looking at pornography at the age of 10. I must confess to you, and I'm confessing publicly, that I had my head buried in the sand about this issue for too long, what Dr. Carnes referred to as the coming tsunami. He also said that women are the fastest growing group to become sexual addicts, mostly because of the Internet. But enough of statistics and the depression that it can cause. I want to move on and I want to tell you about the power of God to deliver us from whatever it is that has hold of us. Hear me right on this one, because while the magnitude is huge, while these numbers of addictions alarming, the cause of this is not new. The elements that's driving people into this bondage of sexual addiction are not new.
For 2,000 years ago plus, Jesus had an encounter with a woman who was not unlike many in our culture today. This woman, in John chapter 4, who had an encounter with the Living Lord Jesus Christ could be just like somebody lives next door, like somebody who works in the office down from you, it's like somebody who shares a dorm in college with you, it's like some member of your social club, or it could be you. Regardless, we thank God for the power of Christ who can deliver you and can deliver you today. The problem is, on the outside, most of these folks, whatever addiction they are into, they appear on the outside they're having a good time. Oh, but on the inside, they are living in misery. On the outside, they look like they've got it all together, but deep down, they're longing for true fulfillment. Deep down, they are longing for true intimacy. Deep down, they are longing for a peace of mind. Deep down, they are longing for a deep, emotional, and spiritual victory in their life.
And the way Jesus reached out to this woman of sexual addiction is the same way that he would reach to every one of us who are here today or watching around the world. It's the same way that he reached to her, the way the compassion, the way he expressed his love for her, the way he brought her into victory and into fulfillment in her life, he can do the same today. To everyone who longs to be set free, Jesus wants to do that. To everyone who longs for true contentment in life, to everyone who's tired of inner conflict, and confusion, and pain, Jesus is sitting at the well of your life and he's calling out to you. Will you respond to him? Will you respond to him? This encounter took place more than 2,000 years ago, and yet, in many ways, this story is a very modern story in every way. It's a really modern story in terms of the expression of racism, of prejudice, of the decline of morality, of human loneliness, and of the longing for true love, and for true intimacy, and for true acceptance.
Back then at the time of Jesus, when he reached out to this desperate Samaritan woman, it was nothing short of revolutionary. Trust me when I tell you this, and when I explain to you further, you'll understand what I mean. It was a revolutionary act for the rabbi from Israel, the Messiah, the Lord of Life, to go and have an encounter with a Samaritan woman. It was revolutionary. Let me give you a short lesson in history. I'm telling you short because I don't want any of you to switch off, and go to sleep, and say, "Oh, I hated history". This is not like the history you studied in school. You see, Samaria is where the West Bank today under the Palestinian rule of modern-day Israel. That's where Samaria was. See where Jerusalem is? See where Galilee is? From Galilee to Jerusalem, you have to go through Samaria. It's about 72-mike trek.
Now, most people traveled on foot. You have to be very rich to have a donkey. So, most people traveled on foot. They walked 72 miles. Do you know how long it took them to walk? Two and a half days. Two and a half days to walk from Jerusalem to the Galilee area. Oh, do you think most of the Jews did that? Not on your life. They would not go this 2 1/2 days walk. They went around to Jericho, then up to the Jordan Valley River, all the way, turn back east to Galilee, or to Nazareth, or to all the cities around the Galilee. That trip took 5 days. Two and a half ways versus five days. But guess what? 99.999% of the Jews would go for the five-day walk rather than the shortcut of going through Samaria.
They would do whatever it take not to go through Samaria. They will do whatever it takes in order not to talk to the Samaritan or have anything to do with the Samaritan. And the Samaritans returned the favor. They did not like the Jews either. You talk about prejudice. Prejudice and bigotry were so deep that they would rather go 5 days on foot than 2 1/2 going through Samaria. Oh, but not Jesus. Not Jesus. He wanted to go to Samaria, which gave his disciples a case of the heebie-jeebies. They're going to Samaria. "We're gonna go through Samaria. Okay, well, he knows what he's doing". But then made it worse when they saw him talking to a Samaritan woman. Hear me right, please. This is important. Jesus came from heaven so that he may redeem and forgive all people from any sin and addiction. It doesn't matter what race a person may be. It doesn't matter what job a person holds. It doesn't matter what ethnic group a person belongs to. It doesn't matter what nationality they may be. It doesn't matter what their status in society may be.
As long as there's someone who is desperate for forgiveness, as long as there's someone whose conscience is so burdened with the fire of guilt, as long as someone who wanted to be relieved from the crushing weight of the chains of sin and addiction, Jesus is staying at the well of your life. As long as somebody needing salvation that only Jesus can give, Jesus will come and meet you at the point of your need. So, he gets to Samaria. Weary of his walk and tired, he sits at the well that was known as Jacob's well. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, dug that well. And lo and behold, a Samaritan woman comes out and draw water from the well.
Now, again, you just got to understand the enormity of that incredible risk that Jesus was taking. It's incredible. I mean, a Jewish man cannot be seen talking to a Samaritan man, but this is a Jewish man talking to a Samaritan woman. Think about this 2,000 years ago, not today. To this day, to this day today, 21st century, an Orthodox rabbi would not shake a hand of a woman. If a Jew really wants to ruin his own reputation, I mean really wanna ruin his own reputation, be seen talking to a Samaritan man, let alone being a woman. But that's not all. Jesus comes from the very height and the apex of righteousness, sinlessness, and holiness. He is God in human flesh, and she is at the bottom of degradation of sin. This woman had so many things going against her, I don't care what you are facing in life that you could never face the degradation and the pain that she was going through.
You cannot comprehend all the things that are going against her. The worst of what you are experiencing would not even measure very close to what she's going through. Her birth rendered her the object of hatred. Her gender rendered her inferior. Her immorality could have brought the wrath of the self-righteous Pharisees, but Jesus knew her desperation. Jesus knew that he and he alone can set her free. Jesus knew that he alone can forgive all of her sins. There is no sin beyond his forgiveness. Jesus knew that her most desperate need is for his redeeming love, and he can do the same for you today. He can do the same for you today. Wherever you are, whatever your situation, he can do that for you today.
All of conventional wisdom back then would have said, "Jesus, you should have left the moment this woman showed up". But thank God he didn't. Thank God he didn't. All conventional wisdom would've said, "Jesus, this woman cannot help who she is". And Jesus would've said, "That's false belief. That's false belief, because I came to give life and give it more abundantly". "Jesus, this woman is not predisposed to leaving her addiction". And Jesus would've said, "That's a fallacy. I can set the captive free. She is desperate for salvation that only I can give her". "Oh, but Jesus, this Samaritan woman is too deep into her alternative lifestyle. Jesus, this woman is half-Gentile and half-Jew, like all the Samaritans. She cannot be saved.
Jesus, this woman is beyond depravity for her lifestyle". Oh, but Jesus would say, "You don't understand. You don't understand. My power came to do the impossible". "Jesus, her addictions have gone too deep and too far". Oh, nothing is impossible for Jesus. "Jesus, this is the way she's born". And Jesus said, "I came to save everyone who would turn to me. Everyone of any ethnic group. It doesn't matter what religion you belong to, the fact you were born a Muslim, or born a Hindu, or born a Jew, or born... it doesn't matter if you come to me as the only Savior and Lord, I will set you free". "But Jesus, this woman is happy in her life". "Oh, you don't understand. My eyes see through all that's inside of her and I know she's not happy. I know that her conscience is on fire. I know the truth. I know how she feels".
This woman, like anyone who's living in sin and in bondage, in the chains with which we are born and then we practice, like all of 'em, we put a mask on. Some of you might walked in here in this church with a big mask. She had a mark. Actually, she had several masks. This woman felt so degraded, so disillusioned, and so dissatisfied. You see, whatever glamour that she once had, she knew it's fading away fast. Whatever excitement in her senses, she's now burning them out, or burning themselves out. All that she got left is the drudgery of coming in and drawing water from that well. Like all of those who are in slave to sin, whatever that sin may be, she drew temporary satisfaction from that bondage. But that's not all. Like all people who are into all sorts of chains of sins, she ended up being cynical. She knew enough religion to make her dangerous.
In fact, the hardest people who turn to Christ are those who are inoculated with a little bit of religion. It keeps them from coming to know the truth. Religion kills, Jesus gives life. So, they put the religious mask on and they rattle these kind of canned answers, you know? "I'm a good person," or "You know, God will have to accept me because I live by the golden rule," or "I was born that way". The list goes on, and on, and on, all the canned answers, religious masks. Ah, but they are flimsy. They're flimsy excuses for not coming to the only one who can truly give you life, and set you free, forgive your sins, and assure your eternal life in heaven. Thank God Jesus would not be detracted by her cynicism.
You notice, as the Bible's being read, you know how many times she tried to get him off track? "Well, you know, you Jews do this and we Samaritans do that". He let that pass. "You know, you worship on this mountain and we worship", he said, "Let that pass". He did not wanna get into a theological debate with her. I mean, he could have absolutely torn her arguments to shred, but not Jesus. That's not what he wanted to do. He was not trying to be profound. He was not trying to impress her with his knowledge. He's the Son of God. He was not trying to give a theological argument as to why, and who, and what, and where. No, no, no, no, no. He said, "Will you please give me a drink"? Is that profound? I mean, that's profound. "Give me a drink". Because the one thing on her mind is coming there and drawing water from that well. Drudgery.
But there's something important that you don't want to miss. She understood it, but you need to understand it. That's in the Hebrew language there are two words for "water," and those who translate the Bible into English try to distinguish between those two words by using the word "living water". She was using one word, he was using another word. She was referring to stagnant water, he was referring to bubbling, spring water. As if Jesus was saying to her, and not in a very subtle way, by the way:
"Lady, you are into dead religion. Lady, you are into dead rituals. Lady, you are into traditions that can never give life. They can never deliver you from the pain that you feel on the inside. They can never deliver you from the guilt and shame that you're feeling on the inside. They can never give you inner fulfillment and satisfaction in this life and for all of eternity. Religion can never save you. Religion can never permanently forgive all of your sins. If you knew the gift of God and who it is who's asking you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would've have given you the living water".
All of that other stuff of religion is like stagnant water, full of algae. It stinks. All of the stuff of religion that you are into is like saltwater. Those of you, I'm sure you've experienced it. If you're thirsty and you're swimming in the ocean, and you take some of that water in, you get more thirsty. The more you drink it, the more you thirst. And you can't to run out to the beach to get some cold, pure water to drink to quench your thirst. That's the water of the world. It's salty water. It can never, never, never, never satisfy. It can never give you that inner contentment. It can never give you that inner peace.
I was thinking about this and I thought about the man in history who once was in prison, and he said, "If I be set free from prison, that's all I would want in life". So, he was set free. Then he said, "Oh, if I would only have the necessities of life, the resources in life, I would want no more". He got that. Then he said, "Oh, but if I only have a high position, I would want no more". He got that. Then he cried out, "Oh, if I would be a magistrate, I would want nothing else in life". He got that. Then he cried out and said, "Oh, but if I were to be a prince, I would want nothing else in life". He got that. Then he said, "No, but if I be a king, I would want nothing else in life". He got that. Then he said, "No, no, no, if I become an emperor, I would want nothing else in life". He got that. Then he cried out and said, "Oh, if I would be emperor of the whole world, I would want nothing else".
He got that, and history tells us that Alexander the Great wept when there was no more worlds to conquer. Salt water, the more you drink it, this can never be enough. It can never satisfy you. The more you drink it, the more you thirst. The more you drink it, the more you thirst. It's a lie. It's a deception. My beloved friend, life away from Christ will never satisfy you. Will never satisfy you. The waters of this world will never give you that inner contentment you're looking for. Today, Jesus wants to give you the living water. He wants to give you himself and set you free. And that is why Jesus had to walk through Samaria and not avoid it like most people did.
See, this woman had five failed marriages. You've seen stuff coming out of Hollywood. I mean, seriously, five. So, obviously she reasoned in her head, "Oh, the problem must be the marriage itself," so she was shacking up with number six. She said, "Oh, I give up marriage". She did not realize that her real thirst for satisfaction in life could only come from the Lord Jesus and her desperate need in life is for Christ to come into her life and give her true contentment and joy. What about you? If you've come to the end of yourself, good news, because Jesus is right there at the end of yourself. Are you ready to receive his living water? This woman, when she was confronted by the truth, when she accepted the truth, the truth transformed her. She ran back to the very people who degraded her, and she said, "Come and see the one who told me all my secrets. He's the Messiah. Come and meet the one who lifted my burden. Come and see the one who forgave all of my sins. Come and see the one who broke my bondage". He can do the same for you.