Worldliness

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Worldliness
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Worldliness
Alcohol
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Drinking Alcoholic Beverages Is A Problem Nearly
As Old As Man
Noah got drunk (Gen. 920-ff) Lot got drunk (Gen.
1930-38)
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1 Timothy 29-10

• Proverbs 201
• Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging and
  whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

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1 Timothy 29-10

• Proverbs 2329-35
• Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions?
  Who has complaining? Who has wounds without
  cause? Who has redness of eyes?
• Those who linger long over wine, those who go to
  taste mixed wine.

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1 Timothy 29-10

• Proverbs 2329-35
• Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it
  sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly
• At the last it bites like a serpent and stings
  like a viper.
• Your eyes will see strange things and your mind
  will utter perverse things.

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1 Timothy 29-10

• Proverbs 2329-35
• And you will be like one who lies down in the
  middle of the sea, or like one who lies down on
  the top of a mast.
• They struck me, but I did not become ill they
  beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I
  awake? I will seek another drink.

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Use Of Alcohol

• Although drunkenness is clearly condemned in the
  Bible (Gal. 519-21), Christians sometimes
  disagree about the Bibles teaching on the
  moderate use of alcohol. Is moderate drinking
  pleasing and acceptable to God?

What about social drinkingDrinking in
moderation? Responsible drinking? Occasional
beer or wine?
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Is God pleased with the moderateconsumption of
alcoholic beverages today?
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Lesson Outline

• The Effects Of Intoxication
• Americas Drinking Problem
• The Biblical Data On Alcohol
• The Historical Data On Alcohol
• Principles and Propositions

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• The Effects Of Intoxication

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Intoxication

• A process of physiological change that occurs
  when alcohol is consumed. It is not a state of
  being, but a process, including the following
  stages
• The dulling of the neurological system and
  response a feeling of relaxation. Note The
  first drink starts the process.
• An initial feeling of euphoria, coupled with
  declining motor skills.

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Intoxication

• A feeling of lethargy and depression.
  Distractions (like at a party) may keep one from
  noticing the lethargy and depression.
• Severe distortion of neurological response,
  indicated by slurred speech, a staggering gate,
  and delayed logical thought.
• Nausea and vomiting. This is the body's attempt
  to remove alcohol from the system.

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Intoxication

• Loss of consciousness. The body's last effort to
  stop the intake of alcohol and to deal with the
  symptoms.
• Death. Usually avoided by the cessation of
  alcoholic intake. Alcohol is a terrible poison to
  the human body.
• Physiological recovery. If death has not
  occurred, the body attempts to repair damage.
  This is coupled with a severe feeling of illness
  with symptoms similar to those of influenza.

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• Americas Drinking Problem

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The Drinking Problem

• The drinking of alcoholic beverages by over 100
  million Americans is regarded by many social
  analysts as Americas number-one public enemy.
• Alcohol claims at least 100,000 American lives
  per year, 25 times as many as all illegal drugs
  combined. (1986 report of the National
  Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, as
  quoted in "Coming to Grips with Alcoholism," U.S.
  News World Report (November 30, 1987)56).

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The Drinking Problem

• Norman Geisler, To Drink Or Not to Drink?
• Over 1/3 of adult drinkers are problem drinkers.
• Almost 20 of teenagers are now alcoholics.
• 1/3 of all American families have had alcohol
  related problems.
• Alcohol is the third largest cause of death in
  America (also of birth defects).
• Every 2 minutes someone dies because of alcohol.

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The Drinking Problem

• Norman Geisler, To Drink Or Not to Drink?
• Well over half of all deadly traffic accidents
  are alcohol related.
• 50 of rapes and spouse beatings and 70 of
  robberies are committed under the influence of
  alcohol.
• Men who drink 2 or more drinks per day have a 70
  higher death rate.
• Alcohol related crime drains 4.5 BILLION dollars
  from law enforcement each year.

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The Drinking Problem

• The real human cost of alcohol
• A 1987 Gallup Poll indicated that more than 61
  million Americans (1 of every 4 families) are
  affected by some alcohol-related problems such as
  divorce, violence in the home, crime, sickness
  and death.

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The Drinking Problem

• Abraham Lincoln once declared
• Alcohol is the greatest and most blighting
  curse of our modern civilization. The liquor
  seller is simply and only a privileged malefactor
  - a criminal.

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The Drinking Problem

• Alcohol is one of the foremost factors in the
  destruction of society, the family, human lives,
  and many other precious things.

Why do so many people still work hard to support
alcohol?
Why would a Christian want to be associated in
any way with the drinking of alcohol?
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• The Biblical Data On Alcohol

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The Biblical Data

• The drinking of wine was a common social practice
  from the OT to the NT
• Melchizedek, king of Salem, offered it to Abram
  after he rescued Lot and many of the inhabitants
  of the region of Sodom. (Gen. 14)
• Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast
  in Cana of Galilee. (John 2)

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The Biblical Data

• Wine was used for medicinal purposes Prov.
  316 1 Tim. 523 Luke 1034
• Drunkenness is condemned
• OT Prov. 201 2320-21 31-35
• NT 1 Cor. 610 Gal. 521 1 Pet. 43-4

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The Biblical Data

• Alcoholic Beverages Are Dangerous
• It mocks us, Prov. 201
• It leads to poverty, Prov. 2320-21
• It brings on woes, sorrows, contentions,
  babblings, and wounds w/o cause, Prov. 2331-35
• It impairs judgment, Prov. 314-5
• It inflames passions, Isaiah 511
• It enslaves, Hosea 411
• It leads to violence, Prov. 417

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The Biblical Data

• The Effects of Alcohol
• Forgetfulness and loss of mental faculties
  (Prov. 314-5 Job 1225)
• Sickness (Jer. 2527)
• Selfishness (Hab 25)
• Confusion and delirium (Prov. 2332)
• Loss of energy (Gen. 920-25)
• Poverty (Prov. 217)
• Vulnerability to attack (2 Sam. 1328)

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The Biblical Data

• The Effects of Alcohol
• Sadness and Depression (Isa. 169-10)
• Loss of consciousness (Gen. 1933-35)
• Pain (Prov. 2329-30)
• Dizziness (Isa. 1914)
• Laziness (Prov. 2321)
• Complacency (Zeph. 112)
• Immorality (Joel 33)
• Perversion (Hab. 215)

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The Biblical Data

• The Bible Also Praises The Goodness Of Wine And
  Its Benefits For Mankind
• Psalm 10414-15
• Ecclesiastes 97

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1 Timothy 29-10

• Psalm 10414-15
• He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and
  vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may
  bring forth food from the earth,
• And wine which makes mans heart glad, so that he
  may make his face glisten with oil, and food
  which sustains mans heart.

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Ecclesiastes 97

• Ecclesiastes 97
• Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink
  your wine with a cheerful heart for God has
  already approved your works. 

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The Biblical Data

• The words for wine both in the OT and the NT
  can mean either fermented or unfermented grape
  juice.
• When the Bible speaks positively about wine it
  cannot be proven that fermented wine is the
  subject.
• ONLY in passages where the effects of fermented
  wine are spoken against are we absolutely sure of
  which kind is under consideration.

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Bible Words For Wine

• Yayin - the most common word for wine, either
  fermented or unfermented.
• Yayin Migat wine from the vat newly pressed
  grape juice highly prized generally available
  to all
• Yayin Yashan old wine lt 1 year old, from
  previous year, fully fermented,
• Yayin Noshan very old wine gt 1 year old,
  seldom drunk, almost vinegar
• Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. 16. p. 538

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Bible Words For Wine

• Tirosh the cluster of grapes itself, or fresh
  grape juice NEVER fermented.
• Shekar - intoxicating, intensely alcoholic,
  strong drink.

In the LXX, yayin and tirosh were translated by
the same Greek word oinos. Thus, in the NT oinos
can refer to either fermented or unfermented
grape juice.
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• The Historical Data On Alcohol

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The Historical Data

• Three Major Faulty Premises
• In the ancient world they drank fermented wine
  all the time, and desired it much more highly
  than unfermented wine.
• In the ancient world it was easy to produce and
  preserve fermented wine.
• In the ancient world it was very difficult to
  preserve the grape juice unfermented.

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Fermentation

• the process by which yeast eat fruit sugar and
  expel carbon dioxide and ethanol alcohol.
• Natural degradation and fermentation begins
  within 4-6 hours.
• Pressed grape juice (called must) which is
  allowed to ferment without a controlled
  environment becomes spoiled grape juice (vinegar)
  which no one wishes to drink.

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Fermentation

• The fermentation of fruit juice into a tasty
  beverage is a deliberate process requiring skill.
  
• To produce a drinkable fermented wine, people
  must not only skillfully manufacture it but must
  also skillfully preserve it.

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Fermentation

• The preservation of fermented wine in the ancient
  world was a complex process. Often the risk in
  trying to preserve fermented wine was so great
  that all the vintage was boiled-down and
  preserved as sweet, unfermented grape juice.
• Wine In The Bible A Biblical Study on the Use of
  Alcoholic Beverages Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.

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Unfermented Wine

• In comparison to preserving fermented wine,
  keeping grape juice from fermenting was a
  relatively simple process. It was accomplished
  by
• boiling the juice down to a syrup, or
• separating the fermentable pulp from the juice of
  the grape by means of filtration, or
• placing the grape juice in sealed jars which were
  immersed in a pool of cold water, or
• fumigating with sulphur the wine jars before
  sealing them. Wine In The Bible A Biblical
  Study on the Use of Alcoholic Beverages Samuele
  Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.

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Unfermented Wine

• The ancients knew of several methods for
  preserving grapes on the vine fresh until the
  following vintage.
• In this case, unfermented grape juice could be
  produced at any time of the year simply by
  squeezing grapes into a cup. This practice is
  confirmed both in rabbinical and Christian
  literature.
• Wine In The Bible A Biblical Study on the Use
  of Alcoholic Beverages Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph.
  D.

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Fermented Wine

• Maximum alcohol content was 14, but only with
  ideal conditions of temperature, yeast and sugar
  content.
• Palestinian wines rarely reached more than 8 in
  alcohol content.
• Water was often added, from 3 parts to 1 to as
  much as 20 to 1!

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Fermented Wine

• To drink a 2 to 1 mixture was viewed as
  madness 1 to 1 was death undiluted was
  barbaric. (attested to by Homer, Aristotle,
  Hippocrates other ancient sources)
• Resulting beverage ½ to 2 alcohol.
• TODAYS fermented beverages Distilled -
  40? Liqueurs - 20-25 Wines -
  12-15 Beer - 5-6
• Drinkers, care to water down your wine beer,
  say 5 parts to 1?

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Strong Drink

• A highly intoxicating beverage made from grain,
  dates, pomegranates, apples, or honey, usually
  8-10 alcohol content.
• shekar used 21 times in OT, almost always in
  reference to sinful intoxication.
• Isaiah 511 Woe unto them that rise up early
  in the morning that they might follow strong
  drink.
• Prov. 201 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is
  raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not
  wise.

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Strong Drink

• Nowhere does the Bible commend strong drink as a
  beverage. The only positive references to strong
  drink are
• a pain killer when one is dying (Prov. 316).
• Deuteronomy 1422-26 - God allowed the Israelites
  to buy strong drink with tithe money. God was not
  commending the typical abuse of strong drink.
  There were many legitimate uses for owning
  alcohol, namely cooking, healing (Luke 1034),
  pain-killing, and making offerings.

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• PrinciplesandPropositions

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Four Undeniable Facts

• God warns against and condemns the effects of
  fermented wine and strong drink.
• There is a GREAT difference between the wine of
  the Bible and the strong drink of today.
• Biblical principles argue strongly against the
  recreational use of alcohol.
• The most common arguments in support of
  recreational drinking are justifications that do
  not hold up under close inspection.

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Relevant Principles

• 1 Cor. 612 - We are not to allow anything to
  control us.

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1 Corinthians 612
1 Corinthians 612 All things are lawful for me,
but not all things are profitable. All things are
lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by
anything. 
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Relevant Principles

• 1 Cor. 612 - We are not to allow anything to
  control us.
• 1 Pet. 43 - Drinking parties are condemned.

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1 Peter 43
1 Peter 43 For the time already past is
sufficient for you to have carried out the desire
of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of
sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing,
drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
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Relevant Principles

• 1 Cor. 612 - We are not to allow anything to
  control us.
• 1 Pet. 43 - Drinking parties are condemned.
• Phil. 48 - Where does alcohol fit into any of
  the categories Paul mentions?

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Philippians 48
Philippians 48 Finally, brethren, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
of good repute, if there is any excellence and if
anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
 
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Relevant Principles

• 1 Cor. 612 - We are not to allow anything to
  control us.
• 1 Pet. 43 - Drinking parties are condemned.
• Phil. 48 - Where does alcohol fit into any of
  these categories?
• Matt. 513-16 Phil. 215 We must be concerned
  about our influence.

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Matthew 513-16
Matthew 513-16 You are the salt of the
earth You are the light of the world Let your
light shine before men in such a way that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father
who is in heaven.
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Philippians 215
Philippians 215 so that you will prove
yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children
of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked
and perverse generation, among whom you appear as
lights in the world 
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Is It Worth The Risk?1 Corinthians 612

• You may so influence a brother that he sins
  against his conscience. (Rom. 1421-23)
• You may so influence someone that he drinks and
  becomes an alcoholic. (Matt. 186-10)
• Once known, your influence among brethren will be
  harmed. (1 Tim. 412)
• Once known, you will never be an elder or a
  deacon. (1 Tim. 33, 8)

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Is It Worth The Risk?1 Corinthians 612

• You may be tempted to lie and deceive to keep
  people from knowing. (Eph. 425)
• You may lose any spiritual influence over the
  lost. (Matt. 516)
• You may bring shame upon the Lords church. (Rom.
  224)
• You may lose the respect of your spouse and
  children.

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Non-Drinkers

• never commit the sin of drunkenness
• never face the possibility of addiction
• do not contribute to an industry that destroys
  lives
• do not cause others to sin
• do not ruin their influence
• save money
• learn to enjoy the peace of God rather than the
  stupor of alcohol

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A Christian May Drink Supporting Arguments

• The Bible doesnt say we cant do it.
• God does not have to say Thou shalt not on
  everything that displeases Him.
• Instead, we are given basic principles of
  conduct. The warnings God has given about strong
  drink should be enough for us to avoid the
  beverages of today.

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A Christian May Drink Supporting Arguments

• The Bible speaks of the positive benefits of
  fermented wine.
• Can't be shown that fermented wine is what is
  being spoken of.
• Even if it was, the alcohol content of Bible
  wines was considerably less than the strong
  drink of today.

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A Christian May Drink Supporting Arguments

• What about the wedding feast at Cana (John
  21-11)?
• That Christ provided an alcoholic wine is not a
  necessary conclusion. It certainly cant be
  proven.
• Such a view is morally unacceptable in light of
  the Bibles severe warnings against intoxication.

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A Christian May Drink Supporting Arguments

• What about 1 Timothy 523?
• Medicinal purposes. Still used today. No
  objection if it is the best alternative.
• Interesting to observe that Paul told Timothy to
  take only a little and that Timothy only did this
  at Paul's urging.

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A Christian May Drink Supporting Arguments

• The Pharisees called Jesus a winebibber (a
  drunkard), Mt. 1119. He must have been drinking
  fermented wine.
• Should doubt truthfulness of anything the
  Pharisees spoke against Jesus.
• Jesus did drink wine cant prove that he drank
  fermented wine.
• Jesus associated with sinners, no doubt some of
  which were drunkards.

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A Christian May DrinkSupporting Arguments

• Deacons are told not to be given to much wine.
  A little would thus be OK.
• Even if this is referring to abuse rather than
  total abstention, all alcoholic beverages of
  today are strong drink. If a man was known to
  drink alcohol today, how would brethren have any
  confidence in that man?

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A Christian May Drink Supporting Arguments

• Self-control is the issue. Gluttony is condemned,
  yet eating is fine. Nothing is wrong with
  drinking in moderation.
• We must all eat to live we dont have to drink
  alcohol. Even if it were a liberty to take one
  drink, todays beverages are strong drink. In
  view of the many risks, the question remains
  WHY?

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So Why Drink Alcohol?

• Is it for the taste? (its a totally
  acquired taste)
• Is it for the drink selections? (plenty of
  non-alcoholic choices)
• Is it for health reasons? (water is safe
  today)
• Is it for the EFFECTS? (admit it)

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• Two Extreme Positions Not Supported By The Bible

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Any Alcohol Is A SinBinding Where God Has Not
Bound

• Many spokesmen for total abstinence have
  attempted to argue that the teaching of the Bible
  forbids the consumption of alcoholic beverages in
  any amount. However, their cause would be better
  served by an honest admission that Gods
  statements are against the harmful effects of
  alcohol and not specifically and inherently
  against the consumption of any alcohol.

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God Is Pleased With Moderate DrinkingLoosing
Where God Has Not Loosed

• Although moderationists are correct in stating
  that the Scriptures do not specifically ban the
  intake of alcohol, they are quite incorrect in
  asserting that the Scriptures speak positively
  about drinking alcoholic beverages. Nowhere do
  the Scriptures encourage the intake of alcohol,
  even in moderation, except for medical reasons.

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• An Interesting Addendum

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Although the Bible declares drunkenness to be
sinful and issues strong warnings against the
intake of alcohol, it refrains from forthrightly
legislating total abstinence.One might wonder
WHY?
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Two Possibilities

• In a time of scarcity, even mildly fermented wine
  would be an excellent source of nutrition.
• God never denied man the use of any naturally
  abundant produce of his fields. For the Jews
  grapes were a principal source of food. Many Jews
  were rural farmers, barely able to keep
  themselves at the level of subsistence.

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Two Possibilities

• God chose to allow our spiritual desire to
  discern His will to govern our actions.
• For example, because of mans hardness of heart,
  in the OT God did not specifically make a law
  against divorce (Matt. 197-8). Yet God so
  imprinted His hatred of divorce upon the Bible
  that any reader of tender conscience would not
  fail to see His perfect will regarding divorce.

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Two Possibilities

• God chose to allow our spiritual desire to
  discern His will to govern our actions.
• Has not the Lord carefully salted His Word with
  many clues that show what His perfect will for
  the believer is especially for the believer of
  our day?

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Old Testament Clues

• Total abstinence was required of anyone
  performing a sacred office or service.
• A king was to avoid intoxicating drink while he
  judged the people. Prov. 314-5 It is not for
  kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink
  wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink, for
  they will drink and forget what is decreed, and
  pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

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Old Testament Clues

• Total abstinence was required of anyone
  performing a sacred office or service.
• A priest had to be fully sober while he was
  ministering in the Temple Lev. 109 Do not
  drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your
  sons with you, when you come into the tent of
  meeting, so that you may not die - it is a
  perpetual statute throughout your generations.

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Old Testament Clues

• Total abstinence was required of anyone
  performing a sacred office or service.
• Anyone who took a Nazirite vow (set himself apart
  for special dedication and service to the Lord),
  was forbidden to eat or drink any product of the
  vine and specifically required to abstain from
  wine and strong drink (Num. 63).

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Old Testament Clues

• Christ has perfectly fulfilled the roles of
  Nazirite, priest, and king.
• As a member of Christ, each believer is
  simultaneously a Nazirite, priest, and king. We
  perform each role at all times, during every
  moment of our Christian walk.

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Old Testament Clues

• We are always set apart from the world and
  willing to show it forth, like a Nazirite.
• We are always a petitioner and intercessor before
  the throne of God, like a priest.
• We are always a minister to those under our
  charge, like a king

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• If Nazirites, Priests, and Kings WereCommanded
  ToAbstain, ShouldWe Not Abstain?

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Have You Obeyed The Gospel?
Hear The Word (Rom. 1017) Believe That Jesus
is the Son of God (Acts 837) Repent of Your
Sins (Acts 238) Confess That Jesus is the Son
of God (Acts 837) Be Baptized for the
Forgiveness of Sins (Acts 238) Having Become A
Christian, Live Faithfully Until You Die (Rev.
210)