Overcoming Worldliness: Alcohol and Drugs

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Overcoming WorldlinessAlcohol and Drugs

• 1 Cor. 612-20 2 Cor. 614-71
• 1 Peter 41-3 2 Peter 219
• Ephesians 516-18

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SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE

• In 2000, 46.6 of Americans aged 12 and older
  reported being current drinkers of alcohol
• In 2000, about 14 million Americans were illicit
  drug users
• Drug alcohol abuse contributes to the death of
  more than 120,000 Americans annually
• U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Fact
  Sheet
• October 4, 2001

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SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE

• Drugs alcohol cost taxpayers more than 294
  billion annually in preventable health care
  costs, extra law enforcement, auto crashes, crime
  and lost productivity
• The past 10 years have shown an increase in drug
  use by adolescents
• Annual average of 28.3 of underage drinkers
  (10.8 million persons aged 12 to 20) drank
  alcohol in the past month
• U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Fact
  Sheet, October 4, 2001 SAMHSAs 2005 to 2006
  National Surveys on Drug Use Health

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Wine and Strong Drink

• Wine does not always or necessarily mean
  fermented drink in the Bible
• yayin (wine), 134 verses Juice of the grape,
  whether fermented or not, Isa. 1610
• tirosh (new wine), 38 verses The weight of
  scholarship and contextual usage means grapes,
  cf. Isa. 658
• shekar (satiate), 20 verses Strong drink,
  intoxicating drink, Isa. 287

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Intoxicating Drink is Always Condemned in the
Bible

• Prov. 201 Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a
  brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not
  wise.
• Prov. 2329-32 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who
  has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has
  wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
  Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go
  in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine
  when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When
  it swirls around smoothly At the last it bites
  like a serpent, And stings like a viper.

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Intoxicating Drink is Always Condemned in the
Bible

• Hosea 411 Harlotry, wine, and new wine
  enslave the heart.
• Gal. 521 envy, murders, drunkenness,
  revelries, and the like of which I tell you
  beforehand, just as I also told you in time past,
  that those who practice such things will not
  inherit the kingdom of God.
• 1 Pet. 43 For we have spent enough of our past
  lifetime in doing the will of the Gentileswhen
  we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness,
  revelries, drinking parties

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Sinful Problems2 Pet. 219 Rom. 617-18

• Intoxication Eph. 515-18 Gal. 521
• -The process of intoxication destroys
• Soberness (Prov. 314-7) Titus 22, 12 1 Ths.
  56-8
• Necessary for obedient holiness,
  1 Pet. 115-18
• Necessary to watch for sin, 1 Pet. 58

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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Sinful Problems2 Pet. 219 Rom. 617-18

• Intoxication Eph. 515-18 Gal. 521 -The
  process of intoxication destroys
• Self-control (temperance, KJV) (Prov.
  2329-35) Gal. 523 1 Cor. 612
• Separation (holiness) (Lev. 109) 1
  Pet. 29 (2 Cor. 616-18)

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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Sinful Problems2 Pet. 219 Rom. 617-18

• Willfully harming body, 1 Cor. 613-20
• Body is for the Lords use and honor
• Being offered up to fulfill fleshly lusts (1
  Jno. 216)
• Mind of the world, Col. 31-3 (Gal. 220)
• Do not be deceived, Gal. 67

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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The Effects of Alcohol on Physical Health
SAME AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL 12
oz. beer 5 oz. wine 1½ oz. hard liquor

• Decreases bodys resistance to infection
• Impairs reason, will, self-control, judgment,
  physical skill and endurance
• Lowers longevity and increases mortality
• Effects brain, nerves, muscles, digestive system,
  heart, liver, kidneys, etc.
• One beer or cocktail destroys some brain cells
• Dr. Haven Everson, Alcohol Its Effects on Man
  and Dr. Melvin H. Knisley
• Cited by Shelly, Young People Make Moral
  Decisions, 46

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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Sinful Problems2 Pet. 219 Rom. 617-18

• Damaged and dangerous influence, 1 Pet.
  211-12
• cf. Noah (Gen. 921-23) 1 Pet. 42-4
• To help others with soberness and
  self-control, Col. 42, 5

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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Sinful Problems2 Pet. 219 Rom. 617-18

• Hurting those we are to love, Matt.
  2239 (712) (Prov. 315)
• The problem of sin! Matt. 1626
• Enslavement, Hosea 411
• Eternal death, Romans 623

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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Social Drinking and Recreational Drug Use

• Stand or fall together! Prov. 2329-35
• All stages prohibited in 1 Peter 43
• Drunkenness (oinophlugia)
  excess of wine, KJV
• Revelries (komos) revellings, KJV
  -The riotous conduct associated with drinking
  and the forsaking of social decency (drunken
  parties, Rom. 1313)

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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Social Drinking and Recreational Drug Use

• Stand or fall together! Prov. 2329-35
• All stages prohibited in 1 Peter 43
• Drinking parties (potos) banquetings, KJV
  tippling, NEB Lit., a drinking without
  reference to amount (Matt. 1042)

ALCOHOL DRUGS
The Devils Invitation Have a drinkjust one!
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What about Smoking?

• Addictive, harmful nature and its bad influence
  shows it is of the world, 1 Cor. 619-20
  Eph. 529
• Over 400,000 deaths each year in the US from
  smoking-related illnesses. One out of every six
  deaths each year is due to smoking.
• (National Institutes of Health,
  http//dccps.nci.nih.gov/TCRB/Smoking_Facts/about.
  html)
• Name one good thing about smoking?
  (1 Cor. 619 Rom. 121)

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• The Bible approves the use of wine in several
  passages.
• Must define wine in its context
• Can be unfermented or fermented
• God approves one and opposes the other (Prov.
  201 Isa. 1610)

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• Jesus turned water into wine. (Jno.
  21-11)
• Wine (oinos) can grammatically refer to either
  fermented or unfermented beverage
• Jesus made 120-180 gallons and approved its
  consumption after guests had already drunk a
  large amount of wine (oinos)

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• Jesus turned water into wine. Jno. 21-11
• -If fermented, then
• Jesus approved drunkenness
• Jesus approved bartending
• Jesus sinned in regards to soberness,
  drunkenness, unholy influence!
• This interpretation is not consistent with his
  character and conduct!

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• Timothy was told to take wine.
  1 Tim. 523
• Timothy was a teetotalerPaul urged him to no
  longer drink only water!
• Medicinal For your stomach ailments
• Which is better for stomach Juice or alcohol?
• Using the same rationale, we must conclude the
  recreational use of Rx drugs is acceptable!

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• Romans 1421 allows use of alcohol when there
  is no offense.
• Romans 14 addresses liberties
• Wine is analogous to meats eaten in good
  conscience (143)
• But, why would unfermented wine cause others to
  stumble?
• Just like meats offered to idols, unfermented
  wine was used in gluttony in the pagan Roman and
  Greek cults

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• Wine is a natural creation of God, so He allows
  us to enjoy it.
• Gods creation Grapes, yeast and process of
  fermentation
• Requires mans deliberate control to produce
  drinkable wine (prevent spoiling)
• That something is natural does not mean it is for
  human consumption!

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• Red wine cleans arteries of plaque.
• Debate over whether alcohol or a substance in the
  skin of the grape is beneficial
• Doctors admit the cadavers of drunks have clean
  arteriesbut they have diseased livers!
• Shall we do evil, that good may come? Romans 38

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• What about cultures where it is considered
  impolite not to socially drink?
• More concerned with offending God! Matt.
  1028 Gal. 110
• Non-alcoholic alternatives are available and are
  not offensive

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• What is wrong with one drink to take the edge
  off?
• What edge would a Christian need to take off with
  alcohol instead of prayer, Bible reading and/or
  medical treatment? Phil. 46-8 Jas. 513
  (Matt. 912)
• Alcohol dulls the senses and one typically puts
  off dealing with problems

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• There is simply no harm in drinking wine.
• Tell that to Lot, whose daughters got him drunk,
  raped him and bore his children
• Tell that to Noah, whose shame of nakedness was
  observed by Ham
• Tell that to the millions whose lives have been
  damaged or destroyed by alcohol

SOCIAL DRINK
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Compromising and Condoning Alcohol

• The Christian who supports or condones social
  drinking must ask himself
• Why do I support it? (What good and godly reason
  is there for drinking alcohol?)
• How do I reconcile this with the Bibles
  condemnation of wine and strong drink?
• Have I thoroughly studied the subject or have I
  just assumed social drinking is OK because I
  enjoy it?

SOCIAL DRINK
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Live Soberly and Honor God

• Titus 211-12 For the grace of God that brings
  salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us
  that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
  should live soberly, righteously, and godly in
  the present age
• 1 Cor. 619-20 Or do you not know that your body
  is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
  youand you are not your own? For you were bought
  at a price there glorify God in your body and in
  your spirit, which are Gods.

ALCOHOL DRUGS
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Alcohol and Drugs

• Enslavement to sin (2 Pet. 219)
• Addictive, lose self-control, harmful to
  physical and mental health, damages your godly
  influence and causes you to be eternally lost!
• Crucify the flesh! Gal. 524-25
• Dont be deceived, Eph. 56-10

ALCOHOL DRUGS