Gluttony

Philippians 3:17–21 NIV

17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Place M&M’s on the altar rail...

“Their god is their stomach...”

Oh, that hurts.

Most of you are already well aware of my Peanut M&M fixation.

You may be looking at those bags of M&M’s thinking that could last a while.

I’m thinking that’s probably about 2-3 days of work if I’m trying.

I could eat Peanut M&M’s all day, every day.

I could eat them until I’m sick.

I could eat them until I’ve gained 40 pounds.

I could eat them to disease.

I will continue eating them until long after I’ve stopped enjoying them…which has often been curious to me.

How many of you have engaged in a pleasurable activity so much that it stopped being pleasurable?

Why do we do that?

Well, historically this glittering vice is referred to as gluttony.

We’re going to define gluttony,

look at some passages that flesh it out

And then we’re going to look at the cure.

Definition and Bible

Gluttony is ultimately a sin of pleasure, not consumption.

In gluttony, pleasure becomes the god that fills the void.

Augustine once stated of God that “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

The glutton looks at the bag of M&M’s, or sex, or parties, or vacations, or purchases, or praise, or social media, and thinks...

My heart rests in the pleasure you provide...

And there’s never, ever enough pleasure...

The Bible gives several warnings about gluttony.

Proverbs 23:20–21 NIV

20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, 21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

1 Corinthians 6:13 NIV

13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Revelation 18:3 NIV

3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

Classically, there have been several forms of gluttony.

Today we will look at two broad categories.

Gluttony of Delicacy

This form often doesn’t actually look like gluttony in the way we imagine it.

This form of gluttony simply wants the highest pleasures this world can offer.

We often refer to this person as “fussy.”

The perfect meal...

The perfect spouse...

The perfect children...

The BEST this world has to offer.

You wouldn’t want this glutton as a dinner guest.

C.S. Lewis referred this glutton as...

Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies (8. Gluttony)

...a positive terror to hostesses and servants...always turning from what has been offered and responding...“Oh please, please . . . all I want is a cup of tea, weak but not too weak, and the teeniest weeniest bit of really crisp toast.”

This glutton would rather starve than eat something that can’t provide ultimate pleasure.

Why is this gluttony?

Because, again, it’s a disorder focused on pleasure.

Only the best can feel good enough.

Gluttony of Excess

If a little pleasure is good, a lot of pleasure is better!

Ever know someone who sits down at the dinner table acts like it’s a race?

This is usually a youngest child!

They get in their greedily and quickly to get as much as possible from the GO!

And then there’s just normal excess...

I want more!

If a few M&M’s are good...

An entire bag must be better!

The Consequences

I probably don’t need to tell you the consequences of gluttony.

In fact, gluttony is killing us, and it’s killing our children.

73% of U.S. adults are overweight

I am now in that category

41.9% are obese

22% of adolescents are obese

18 million people die each year due to heart disease.

In total, 6.3 million people have died with COVID

40-percent of those who have passed from COVID had diabetes

Taking it out of diet...

People spend an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes a day on social media globally...

13 years olds check their accounts and texts approximately 100 times a day.

They spend approximately 9 hours a day on screens, whether it be phone, computer, TV...

Tell me if you’ve ever experienced this...

You’ve just logged out of social media after an argument and you feel this compulsion to go back...

Gluttony

Or how about this…you’re arguing with a spouse and you just have to get one last zinger in.

Gluttony

Or you just have to get one more TikTok in...

Gluttony

Or you just need one more technological device...

Gluttony

In the words of many wise sages who preceded me...

How’s that working out for you?

In the words of an even wiser sage...

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NIV

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

The Cure

Fasting

Jesus own ministry began with a 40-day food fast.

It’s interesting that he didn’t see fasting as an odd or questionable experience.

Matthew 6:16 NIV

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

Are there health benefits?

Absolutely. Some of the research in recent years on the benefits of intermittent fasting are pretty incredible.

Of course, consult your doctor before jumping in...

Some will say it doesn’t have to be food.

I agree, but food is a great place to start.

It is one of the highest needs, and where there is higher need, there is often a greater level of subconscious idolatry.

You don’t know how addicted you are to the pursuit of pleasure until you...

Give up that particular pleasure.

Turn to God in prayer.

After getting through the phase in which we withdraw from the gluttonous compulsion, we tend to enter a place of peace and rest in God.

The first time I fasted I remember this switch flipping and suddenly I realized that I didn’t have that much need to eat.

I could go most of a day without food and I was fine.

Better than fine. I felt great.

I began to see that God really does give me enough.

More than enough.

You find the pleasure in God that only He can provide

Friends, pleasure is no sin. It’s a gift.

Seek your pleasure in God by denying the millions of gluttonous idols in this world.

Ultimate pleasure comes from knowing when to say no...

Hold up the M&M’s

And instead turning to God for all things.

Let’s pray...