Sermon Tone Analysis

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Theme: Why I do not use beverage alcohol, and why you shouldn’t either even though we have the liberty to do so.

Theme: Why I do not use beverage alcohol, and why you shouldn’t either even though we have the liberty to do so.

There’s an old joke in the south: Question: When a Methodist takes a Baptist fishing, why will he always take two Baptists with him?

Answer: Because if he only bring one, he'll drink all your beer.

The moral of the story is that Baptists will drink ... just not in front of each other.

There’s an old joke in the south: Question: When a Methodist takes a Baptist fishing, why will he always take two Baptists with him?

Answer: Because if he only bring one, he'll drink all your beer.

The moral of the story is that Baptists will drink ... just not in front of each other.

Last Sunday we arrived at Romans, chapter 14.

The theme of the chapter is found in the very first verse — the Apostle begins a segment on disputable matters.

Paul is dealing with the believer’s personal conduct.

Last Sunday we arrived at Romans, chapter 14.

The theme of the chapter is found in the very first verse — the Apostle begins a segment on disputable matters.

Paul is dealing with the believer’s personal conduct.

There is some conduct that, for the confessing Christian, is always wrong.

That is, it is sin.

• There is som e conduct that, for the confessing Christian, is always right.

There is some conduct that, for the confessing Christian, is always right.

• There is some conduct that, for one confessing Christian, is wrong because it goes against their conscience, but for another confessing Christian is permissible because their conscience does not condemn them.

There is some conduct that, for one confessing Christian, is wrong because it goes against their conscience, but for another confessing Christian is permissible because their conscience does not condemn them.

It’s this third area of conduct that the Apostle refers to as a disputable matter.

A disputable matter is an issue, or a disagreement over an issue, that the Bible does not specifically forbid, but which some Christians are nevertheless uncomfortable with.

In other words, this refers to conduct some confessing Christians think is wrong, even though it's not condemned in the Scriptures, but which their conscience or personal preference or cultural context or denominational tradition finds questionable while other confessing Christians see nothing wrong with the conduct.

One of those issues is the use of alcoholic beverages.

Can I be honest with you?

The entire Christian world believes that the use of alcoholic beverages is a disputable matter.

Except Baptists.

For many Baptists the prohibition against alcohol is a firmly established doctrine of the church as thoroughly orthodox as justification by faith alone.

There are Baptists who have gone to great lengths to prove that the wine at the marriage in Cana, and the wine at the Last Supper were actually unfermented grape juice.

I am persuaded that the use of beverage alcoholic drinks is a disputable matter, and we need to offer grace to those Christians who don’t see it the way we do.

I. THE ARGUMENT

1. when it comes to the Christian position on beverage alcohol, we need to isolate, and reject the really bad arguments

reject the really bad arguments

a. there are two really bad arguments we need to isolate, and reject this morning

2. now, I’ve got to warn you — I’m about to say some things some of you will not like, but hear me out before you call for a deacon’s meeting to discuss your pastor

hear me out before you call for a deacon’s meeting to discuss your pastor

A. THE 1ST REALLY, REALLY BAD ARGUMENT is that the Scriptures absolutely forbid Christians to use alcoholic beverages whatsoever

A. THE 1ST REALLY, REALLY BAD ARGUMENT is that the Scriptures absolutely forbid

Christians to use alcoholic beverages whatsoever

1. it’s a bad argument

a. it’s a bad argument because the Scriptures do not absolutely forbid believers to consume beverage alcohol

consume beverage alcohol

2. there are those fellow Baptists — and a few other groups — who would maintain that total abstinence is the biblical mandate that all Christians must observe in all generations, in all places all the time

total abstinence is the biblical mandate that all Christians must observe in all generations, in all places all the time

ILLUS.

In 2006 Southern Baptists were vehemently arguing over the issue.

Dr. John Sullivan, Florida Baptist Convention's Executive Director wrote a scathing editorial saying, “Being a “tee-totaler” has been my conviction—not convenience—since August 1955 when I was saved.

After salvation, it never entered my mind that “social” or “moderate” drinking was acceptable to the Heavenly Father.

I never considered discussing it as a possibility.

Now some would say that is closed-mindedness.

They would be right — there is no debate for me.

... My conviction is there is no place in the Christian growth and walk that includes the use of wine or any other alcoholic beverage.”

Sullivan, Florida Baptist Convention's Executive Director wrote a scathing editorial saying, “Being a “tee-totaler” has been my conviction—not convenience—since August 1955 when I was saved.

After salvation, it never entered my mind that “social” or “moderate” drinking was acceptable to the Heavenly Father.

I never considered discussing it as a possibility.

Now some would say that is closed-mindedness.

They would be right — there is no debate for me.

... My conviction is there is no place in the Christian growth and walk that includes the use of wine or any other alcoholic beverage.”

a. many Christians believe that a prohibition on alcoholic drink is morally binding upon all Christians at all times in all places ... period

all Christians at all times in all places ... period

3. this is a bad argument

a. it’s a bad argument you’ll find articulated in most Baptist Churches

1) however, there simply is no Scriptural mandate for total prohibition from beverage alcohol

beverage alcohol

2) it is an exegetically untenable argument

a) imposing abstinence from alcohol as a non-negotiable behavioral standard for all Christians is a moral requirement unknown to Scripture

all Christians is a moral requirement unknown to Scripture

3) believers — according to — have the liberty to imbibe if they so choose

choose

a) they do not have the liberty to be drunk according to

b. Solomon tells us in that intoxication is not wise, but he does not tell us that imbibing alcoholic beverages is wrong in and of itself

us that imbibing alcoholic beverages is wrong in and of itself

1) yes, wine is a mocker — it never lives up to the manufacturer’s promises for it

2) yes, strong drink can lead to brawling

3) yes intoxication is not a wise behavior — it is sinful behavior

4) but nowhere in this passage or others can we discover a clear mandate for total abstinence

abstinence

4. if we are going to be responsible interpreters of the Scriptures, we cannot make the Bible say what it does not say

Bible say what it does not say

B. THE 2ND REALLY BAD ARGUMENT is that the Christian has absolute liberty to use beverage alcohol without respect to the opinion of the Body of Christ

B. THE 2ND REALLY BAD ARGUMENT is that the Christian has absolute liberty to use

beverage alcohol without respect to the opinion of the Body of Christ

1. it’s a bad argument

a. it’s a bad argument because the Bible does not give us licence to do whatever we want even though we don’t believe it’s a sin

want even though we don’t believe it’s a sin

2. there are those fellow Christians — including many Baptists — whose discipleship is characterized by an individuality that accentuates personal Christian liberty, without respect for their responsibility to fellow believers in the church

characterized by an individuality that accentuates personal Christian liberty, without respect for their responsibility to fellow believers in the church

a. these believers will frequently point to the Apostle Paul’s words in the 14th chapter of his letter to the Christians at Rome as a defense

his letter to the Christians at Rome as a defense

"Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.