Drink But Don't Get Drunk

Introduction:

We live in a world where there are definite black and white issues and then there are those gray areas. It is in the gray areas that many Christians like to proclaim Christian liberty and simply go about doing whatever they want, since they feel that God has had nothing to say on the issue. But we must be careful to not overlook all the side issues that touch a particular topic when we are trying to decide how we as Christians should live.

Today, we are going to talk about a sensitive subject that people get super-charged over. It is the issue of drinking alcohol. We have people that range the spectrum of being t-totalers, moderate drinkers, and full-blown users of alcohol and many can give reasons to try to justify their position. Today, we only want to look at what God has to say about the topic. So let’s jump in to one of our key verses before we take a journey through the Scriptures this morning.

Read text. Pray.

Verses that Seem to Praise or Encourage Alcohol

Verses that Warn Against Becoming Drunk

How

Other Principles That Need to Be Considered

1. Verses that Seem to Praise or Encourage Alcohol

Old Testament Prophets

Joel 2:19 ESV

The Lord answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

Joel 3:18 ESV

“And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.

Isaiah 25:6 ESV

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

Isaiah 25:6

Ecclesiastes 9:7 ESV

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

Jesus turns water into wine ()

John 2:3–11 ESV

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

John 2:3-

Food and Drink are Clean

Mark 7:18–19 ESV

And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

2. Verses that Warn Against Becoming Drunk

Proverbs 31:4 ESV

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,

Prov. 31:4

Proverbs 23:31 ESV

Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.

Prov. 23:31

Proverbs 20:1 ESV

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

3. Other Principles That Need to Be Considered

Did the wine have alcohol

Water quality

Medicinal uses

1 Timothy 5:23 ESV

(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

Be Sober-minded - why drink wine except to dull the senses

1 Peter 1:13 ESV

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Stumbling Block Principle

1 Cor. 8:7

1 Corinthians 8:7–13 ESV

However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Conclusion:

As we conclude, we need to realize that we no longer live for ourselves, but for the Kingdom of God. If what we do harms our witness, our brother, or our Lord, it ought not be done. We must learn to care about one another.

Wine=Covenant=transition to Lord’s Supper