Christians and Alcohol (John 2:7-11) 10/1/17

[Music] well as promised here we go Christians and alcohol as you might imagine I have considered long and hard exactly where we need to be with this regard I want to let you know because of our diminished capacity with PowerPoint until we get the new screens installed and the new projectors installed the PowerPoint slides are downloadable online you can simply go and download them you can also watch the video online and then after service if you want a CD of this message to hand to one of your friends who's maybe struggling with alcohol maybe a family member who has an improper biblical view of it they'll be available and they are also free so you can take them and give them out if you turn to John chapter 2 we'll pick up in verse 7 we're going to go back to a verse that we covered last Sunday morning and a very important subject because the verses that are contained here in verses 7 through 11 and John 2 are very often one of the handful and notice what I'm saying here the handful of proof texts that people throw out to say that scripture says drinking alcohol was actually encouraged by Jesus or that it is something that the body of Christ should do at the very worst that it's a Liberty that we could engage in and I want to take you through a journey through the scriptures today and I want to speak directly to your hearts into your mind about this very important subject that I believe the enemy is using to destroy both the witness of the church and the individual lives of believers I will not apologize for a single thing I'm going to say there are some that are going to say always a legalist there are some who probably going to say I'm not going to go far enough but I'm going to tell you right now I'm simply going to point you the Word of God and I want to challenge you to allow me to speak into your lives - perhaps reshape the way you think about this particular subject would you join me in prayer father thank you for your incredible word and we pray now as we read it and study it and truly understand it how that you would speak into our lives Lord your word plainly declares that we are to have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness that our lives are to be holy because you are holy and that we bear the name of our Savior Jesus because we are in fact Christians and so would you help us Lord to handle this time today in a way that pleases you doesn't fit into our culture but pleases you and we ask that you would bless us now as we study in Jesus name Amen so here it goes John 2 verse 7 and Jesus said to them you remember the story fill the waterpots with water and they filled them up to the brim and he said to them now draw out some now and take it to the master of the feast and they took it and when the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made to wine and did not know where it came from but the servants who had drawn the water knew the master of the feast called of the bridegroom and he said to him every man at the beginning sets forth out the good wine and when the guests have drunk while the inferior and you have kept the good wine until now and this was the beginning of signs that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee manifested his glory and his disciples believed him this is one of those passages that people drag out look here three times throughout a wedding naturally of course Jesus is approving of the consumption of alcohol let me help you deconstruct that very thought right here and right now and I want you to be very careful and listen well and I'm going to ask you connoisseurs to bear with me I'm going to ask those of you who right now this very moment believed that you have the Liberty to drink alcohol to bear with me I'm going to ask you to consider the full weight and the full measure of what scripture declares as opposed to what you think based on some assumption that you have made in the past about this subject because it is my contention that most Christians have an improper view of this particular subject because they have not ever had a pastor do what I'm about to do that is a shame on the church and frankly I can't do it I'm not gonna tell you what you might want to hear today and I make no apologies for it you see wine was the normal drink of that day and so you have to be very careful about making doctrine out of something that was the situation then that is surely not the situation today nobody owned a refrigerator nobody had ice unless they went up to Mount Hermon and gathered some snow and figured out a way to carry it back to the region of Galilee some 65 miles away nobody had the capacity to hermetically seal anything they knew nothing about pasteurization the seals on their clay jars were at times airtight they could wax them close but that was not certainly the average person's reality and so when wine was consumed it was consumed for a very specific reason they could grow grapes but they could not keep grapes if you've ever noticed most grapes absolutely at the end of the season they all the sudden just ripen nearly simultaneously across the whole vine and so you can either choose to throw them away allow them to drop on the ground or you can figure out some way to try and contain all the wonderful goodness of those grapes that was done by pressing them and turning them into new wine and that new wine stored for any length of period of time would turn into old wine also called fermented wine during that day in time when someone wanted to take that wine and drink it not only did they not drink it full strength but they normally mixed in about three parts or four parts to one they would take one jar of wine and three jars of water mixed them together and it was a form of early water purification and so be careful about what you believe Jesus is saying here we're gonna inspect the word wine here shortly but some scriptures to ponder and I've posted these up you'll be able to download them so if you were to write really fast you might get all of these in you you see I can't tell you how many young people I've had coming to me well you know Jesus made water into wine of course it's okay to drink I can't tell you how many adults have said the same thing to me and I will usually say something along these lines well do you always do everything Jesus tells you to do you know like forgiving every person who offends you or doing good to those who spitefully use you do you do that all the time and usually to cover their tracks they'll say sure I'll usually say like you know I don't but that's what is what I'm thinking just saying you know usually take them to Luke 22 verse 18 if you want to turn their verse 17 says and then he took the cup and gave thanks and said and take this and divide it among yourselves for I say to you I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes so do you always do what Jesus says because if so Jesus is a teetotaler and he's in heaven right now and nobody's supposed to be drinking if that's how you're going to discern what this passage is saying you see the Bible is very clear on this and so the only way to come to a proper understanding of the subject of Christians and alcohol is to not take out your proof text in a single verse or a couple of verses that have the word wine in them and say you know well God just is okay with us drinking let's look at what the rest of Scripture says about the subject of alcohol shall we is that okay with everybody this morning Isaiah chapter 5 you see cuz I'm guessing that most of you like me either know somebody or have been affected yourself or you will be affected by what alcohol has done to our society and in fact to this entire world in one service I had three ladies come to me III only stood in one line just one section of the sanctuary three of them who had lost family members two drunk drivers this alcohol really something we should be messing with us the children of God Isaiah 5 verse 11 says this woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may follow intoxicating drink who continue until night until the wine in flames inflames them woe to men mighty men at drinking wine woe to men who were valiant for mixing intoxicating drink that's a little more specific than Jesus turned some water into wine admit proverbs 20 verse 1 wine is a mocker strong drink a brawler and whoever is led astray by it is not wise Paul's admonition to the body of Christ do not be drunk with wine which is dissipation that word dissipation is very unique it means diminished mental capability it means that your mind is no longer fully controlled by the Spirit of God but it is dissipated in its capacity to think and reason but rather be filled with the spirit you see perhaps you're in that category of people who think that this is just a Liberty and pastor Jeff should up and go sit down and I'm saying that to probably some of you very directly this morning some of you are probably thinking that very thing right now the reason I know that's true said I had two people basically tell me that after first service you had to go there didn't you yes I do let me tell you why I am sick to death of the devil winning I have reached in through car windows and held c-spine on the mom who's already killed her daughter because she drove drunk I've sat at the hospital bid bed of paraplegics who aren't now in a wheelchair for the rest of their life because of a drunk driver I have listened to countless destroyed marriages I can't even begin to tell you or recount to you the number of times that I've heard the same basic story my husband did this my wife did that and the result is our family is destroyed and the secret ingredient is alcohol first Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 9 says but beware lest somehow this Liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to those who are a week the Apostle Paul in the context there is talking about all liberties every Liberty every last thing that scripture does not directly prohibit that the believer may possibly be able to do because it is not inherently listed as a sin it says beware lest you who name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ take up anything that causes your weak brother or sister to stumble can I tell you right now today in the United States of America there are 3.1 million high schoolers were addicted alcohol oh yeah that's right the drinking age is well above the high school level beware Paul writing to the Church of Corinth in chapter 10 1st corinthians verse 23 it first gives a principle that applies to absolutely everything you see Jesus's words were unique and we'll get to the word wine in just a moment but Paul writing and applying it to everything all things are lawful for me we're free in Christ one could say as long as it's not inherently sin to me I can do anything that's true however all things are not helpful all things are not helpful all things are lawful for me but all things don't edify all things don't build up all things don't cause the glory of God to be made manifest amongst people you see when you start considering the entire Bible you start to come to a slightly different conclusion about all liberties and very specifically ones that are patently destructive verse 31 that same chapter and therefore whether you eat or drink whatever you do do to the glory of God I'm pretty sure that I cannot imagine Jesus sitting with the dalmatian on the Budweiser wagon I'm pretty sure that Jesus wouldn't have been found at the bar with the friends TV show I'm pretty sure because he knows exactly what that's doing to our world this year in our world 3.3 million people will die because of the effects of alcohol either from health related problems traffic accidents or forms of violence where alcohol is the direct cause of action pretty sure Jesus is not okay with us promoting that you see sometimes we think very small when it comes to our own personal liberties what your Bible declares is we're supposed to think about everyone else first do you realize it in our world more people have died from alcohol-related causes than all of the wars in history of mankind did you hear what I just said more people have died from alcohol-related causes than all of the wars in the history of mankind so what do you think thinking that's something we ought to encourage some Liberty we ought to take something we ought to show our children you see I've sat there when dads have driven up to the camp because we caught their son or their daughter most often their son and I've sat in my office with that child and we're sending them home and dad's come to get them I don't know why you do this why don't you talk to my son I said no why don't you talk to your son I can't what do you mean you can't you're gonna have something to say on the subject well usually we'll take him out of the room what do you mean I can't because I gave him his first drink do you understand what I'm saying what you do matters your children's lives may well depend on it are you still sure that's a Liberty you want to engage in how does alcohol affect human beings I could spend all afternoon just simply giving you statistics from the Centers from disease Centers of Disease Control in Atlanta or American Medical Association or Surgeon General's Office but a handful of things for you to think about three beers thirteen percent net reduction in your short-term memory 40% increase in errors if you happen to be a typist your ability to make split-second decisions anybody know how much driving we do here in the city I don't know about you but with a hundred percent I'm not very good I can't afford to lose ten and perhaps the worst of all of this alcohol is a poison 100% of that can I have the doctor say Amen in here it's a poison alcohol is not good for the human body your body has to process it the reason people lose their livers the reason that people end up with all manner of health problems is because your body is not supposed to have alcohol in it it's no different than you overdosing on Tylenol or anything else your body ought to process all of those chemicals and if you take the most extreme cases of alcohol hard liquor your body reaches a level of roughly 5% you are dead it's a poison you think Jesus was actually encouraging us to drink poison I'm asking you questions because you need to think about these things I already know where I stand and I know what the Bible says I'm hopefully encouraging you to think about the way you think you see you start ending up with all kinds of problems how much when is it okay if other people are drinking is it okay ever I submit to you that the Bible in no way is ambiguous on this subject there are two basic groups two basic groups one is and probably some of your going the dudes a legalist that's the that's the group that says touch any alcohol straight to the pit of hell with you it's not what I'm saying alcohol is not a Salvation issue but it is a sanctification issue the other group is it's a Liberty just leave it alone Jeff go sit down you're messing with my wine cellar right now I'll never be able to enjoy another football game or baseball game you're ruining yeah you have the libertine so yeah the legalists on one side the libertines on the other and in between about every concoction of those two things mixed together you can possibly imagine innumerable hybrids but before those of you that are bent one way versus another tune me out I would ask that you hear me out what was Jesus saying in our passage he uses the word wine three times you see to the Hebrew mind in the whole of the Old Testament two words are used for wine one very clearly the Hebrew word to rush and that is unfermented wine it's grape juice but they didn't use grape juice they called both wine but they use two different words for it yayan is the fermented type but we have a problem in the New Testament which is where this passage is being written because there's exactly one word and that one word is translated by its context so what was Jesus saying do we honestly believe the you and I want to sit here this morning and believe that Jesus was encouraging the manufacture of a hundred and eighty gallons of a poison that is going to destroy the testimony of all of those that are in that room so that ultimately every last person in the entire population of Cana of Galilee and Nazareth is completely drunk out of their minds I don't think so and here's why we know that because the word is translated according to its context and so as you look at this passage what's Jesus actually doing he's simply fulfilling a need for the host you know trying to get him drunk he's simply taking care of a need and furthermore in the context it says very clearly that you always put the new stuff out first and then the old so the stuff that they're drinking I believe is the unfermented kind within its context so Jesus isn't saying hey let's make a bunch of you know wine that's gonna ruin him mark chapter 2 and verse 22 and it says in the context again this is how you can judge these things no one puts new wine into old wineskins or else the new wine burst the wine skin the wine is spilled but the wine skins are ruined but the new wine must be put into new wineskins very clear that what was made at first was unfermented grape juice from our perspective and then to keep it so that they didn't have to throw it out that fermentation process took place it was still drinkable but they would mix it with water you see sometimes people take a verse and they build doctrine on it a very unwise thing the word ohnice is a very specific word when you look at the implications of Jesus doing this let me kind of give you a couple of things here when Jesus turns this water into wine he couldn't possibly be saying look I hope everybody here gets completely sloshed so that the bride and the groom goes their merry way stumbling down the path vomiting I'm pretty sure that's not what Jesus was intending so for those who said well he made 180 gallons of really good stuff you kind of have a problem contextually furthermore people will say well you know Jesus used wine at the Passover again be careful that you understand there's one your word used for wine what was Jesus doing anybody in here tell me what the Jewish household went around their house trying to get rid of during Passover anybody know shout it out leaven what ingredient do you need to turn grape juice into wine oops 11 you see you have to actually let it begin to spoil it has to actually be exactly what the Jewish people were told to get out of their house in order for it to be fermented wine it was new wine and furthered furthermore Jesus sat at Passover this is the new wine of my new covenant so be careful about building your case on one word but rather build your case on the totality of what scripture very clearly says the promise the the process of fermentation was the very thing the Jewish people were to drive from their home next they what I call the alcohol Hall of Shame the very first time in all of Scripture that we find the consumption of wine it doesn't go so well you know his name his name is Noah and what happens to him he becomes completely dissipated of mind he gets naked in front of his family so much so that his own kids have to cover his shame can I tell you I've heard that story before here and now families covering the shame of someone who thinks they have the liberty to drink how about the next one this is a real painful one for me because I've listened to this story more than once in my time as a camp director it's a story of lot lot got drunk becomes easily seduced and he has in sex incestuous sexual relationships with his own daughters I've had that lived out in my office at the camp more than once my dad got drunk and raped me how about the children of Israel they decided to throw a little party you notice how there's a constant theme here they got drunk they threw off their clothes and did really dumb horrible stuff still happening today isn't it how many people wake up in the morning and go oh my what have I done what have I done I would have never done this I'd have been sober I have heard that story hundreds of times furthermore your Bible says woe to those who rise early in the morning to drink who has sorrow who has contentions who has complaints who has wounds without cause who has eyes of redness those who linger long over wine woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor pressing him to your bottle to make him drunk that you may look on his nakedness how many college frat parties is that the basic context think about that liberty think about it in light of what the Scriptures actually say about us who bear the mark and the image the imprimatur of the Holy One of Israel God incarnate in human flesh the hall of shame is all there is in scripture about the consumption of alcohol did you hear what I just said the Hall of Shame is all there is in all of the Bible there's not a single good story of people getting together and having a social event and people getting drunk and something bad doesn't happen that is the the Bible so when people said well you know it's not that big a deal really how about alcohol in your health brothers and sisters family let's talk about it you were bought with the price and therefore Paul said glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are gods it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me you get the picture if you're with us on Thursday night read the first four verses of Romans chapter 12 and ask yourself a very simple question is drinking alcohol being conformed to this world or is it being transformed by the renewing of your mind which one is it because it's not both you see we belong to God we are actually God's hands and feet in this world we're his mouthpiece what are you telling your children what are you telling people who don't know the Lord you see you won't find pastor Jeff at Costco with the basket full of booze you know why it's very simple the moment that happens and one person sees me my witness is destroyed in the world I would not expect one of you to believe a single thing I said if I did that because scripture is clear it's not ambiguous alcohol is dangerous Jesus knew it then we know it now from liver disease to dementia the problems with alcohol destroying your body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit is an absolute fact one in 16 people who ever take a single drink will become an addict one in sixteen it's poisonous to everyone it destroys your organs it shortens your life expected I'm guessing there's not a single person in this room who would say yes every Christian should smoke you know why we say that because your body's a temple of the Holy Spirit and smoking destroys your lungs which is your body it's the thing that God uses to move you around so you can do his work in his will in his way it's very simple the Scriptures do have plenty to say an alcohol from a human perspective is perhaps one of the most deadly substances on our planet I got to admit when people are saying well you know what's the difference between marijuana and alcohol you know honestly the the intellectually honest answer is there is no difference they're both drugs they both diminish your mental capacity they both will harm you but the sad news of alcohol is this here in our country talk to any law enforcement officer 50% of all homicides have at least some component of alcohol 50% of all people who died in our highways alcohol is one of the causes if not the primary costs 50% of all people admitted to hospital emergency rooms alcohol is in some way a part of the problem 50% or more of all people incarcerated or in jail admit to alcohol abuse 50% of all people arrested on domestic violence charges alcohol is involved or a part and 50% or more of all people born with birth defects there is an alcohol history within the family do you really think Jesus wants us to do that I'm just asking questions and I'm telling you what the scriptures say becomes pretty clear to me it becomes pretty clear to me oh it might be a Liberty can't look you in the eye and say if you had a glass of wine that you're inherently sinful but I think when you start looking at the rest of Scripture you have to ask yourself some pretty strong questions you have to ask yourself some strong questions is that the legacy you want to leave for your children some closing thoughts for you do you really want to do anything that helps out the devil because alcohol invites temptation it invites temptation it puts you in harm's way it's the antithesis of James 4:7 therefore submit to God resist the devil and he'll flee from you that's not resisting the devil that's putting yourself in harm's way well just diminish my mental capacity I'll just dump myself now y'all had a rough day Jesus had the roughest day ever lived on this planet he did it without it he actually rejected it by the way he was offered wine mixed with gall and anesthetic and he said no I'd rather suffer I'm doing it for them I want to show them the way alcohol leads to tarnish testimonies family I can't even tell you how many painfully horrible stories I've listened to one of the most tragic things of being a camp director for twenty years is the children who have been taught how to live lives of sin by their own parents no I'll don't do as I do just do as I say I'm telling you not to drink this is only for adults really I don't think so I think very often it's adults acting like children sorry that probably stings but it's also true unwilling to face reality unwilling to do the hard thing unwilling to stand when others fall we're commanded in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 to come out from among them the people of the world and be separate and to not touch that which is unclean are we really doing that oh and how about the other proof text well Paul told Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach again remember there's only one word why not guess what Jesus wouldn't have told anybody to do it and Paul wouldn't have either and here's why because alcohol causes ulcers it doesn't fix them and Jesus being God Paul following along in his footsteps was simply encouraging to do exactly what we tell people to do now which is have some grape juice it's a very strong antioxidant and it's actually good for your stomach so again single word how about medicinal use Jesus was offered that wine strong drink and the bottom line is family we're a nation of priests and kings we're a nation of priests and kings and when you look at what scripture says about that subject especially with the kings of the Old Testament the priests of the Old Testament they're repeatedly told over and over and over and over again do not drink Leviticus 10 don't drink wine or intoxicating drink nor your sons with you so that you will then not go to the tabernacle and in their die now because we're God's kids because men be the priests of your home be the priests of your home come out from among them put off the childish things and live your life in a way that's pleasing to the Lord I know being hard I'm tired I'm sick of listening to the stories of ruined lives and I will do everything I can to stop it and so I'm telling you the truth there is not a single verse in all of Scripture that ever encourages you to drink out alcoholic beverages not one but there are dozens that tell you it's extremely dangerous so what message do you think the entire Bible is sending us it's not a wise thing it's not a god-honoring thing had very best it's a Liberty that's extremely dangerous but should it be something that we engage in reason that Paul wrote to deacons elders bishops and said do not be given to wine the reason being is the tarnish testimonies the reason being is the diminished mental capacity the reason being is it destroys the body which is a temple of the Holy Spirit the reason being Kings have made foolish decisions based on being drunk the reason being is the alcohol Hall of Shame the reason that he was told them don't consume yourself with this is because it doesn't honor the Lord it doesn't honor the Lord and while the Bible inherently does not command total abstinence I find it very hard to believe that anyone who actually knows what the Bible says would ever say that there's any case for Christians consuming alcohol I pray that I don't have to do any more counseling appointments where a marriage is breaking up over alcohol I pray that no one asked me to go talk to their kids again because their parents taught them how to drink I pray that I don't ever have to go to another hospital bed to watch somebody die because they were killed by a drunk driver I pray that I never have to sit with another paraplegic who can no longer walk because somebody drove down the highway drunk I pray that we will live our lives godly in Christ Jesus and honor the Lord would you stand with me and I realize I just preached I realize it I did it full well I knew what I was doing and I want to encourage you he who the Sun has set free is free indeed and maybe today you don't have that total freedom and I want to pray with you right now would you bow your heads please and close your eyes and if you're here right now maybe you're just struggling maybe you need an extra touch from the Lord because you're struggling what I just said perhaps you're here today and you drank before you came to church perhaps that's your plan for this afternoon and you want God to touch you right now to give you strength because you want to be done with this habit once and for all right now I'm here to tell you God can heal you right now that's you maybe you just need to break the family traditions that's you just slip your hand up I want to pray with you right where you're out anyone at all I see that hand I see that hand I see that other hand I see those hands hands are up all over just put your hand out nobody's looking nobody should look nobody should care it's between you and God slip your hand I'm just gonna pray with you right where you are anyone else it's time family it's time that we stood strong the world is a wreck you want to be free just put your hand up father thank you for these that have brave they're not ashamed Lord of you and you're not ashamed of them and I want to pray for those who raised their hands I've been struggling God and some of them no doubt they've been struggling for a long time they haven't had victory in Lord they're asking right now by that raised hand that you would set them free from the bondage of alcohol or maybe it's somebody in their life that's struggling and father I want to pray that you would cause us to be a mighty witness in this world for the truth well we don't want to give the enemy any more opportunity to destroy lives and so help us to set the standard high where you Jesus said it we thank you God for the freedom that we have in Christ and for these that have raised their hands in Jesus name would you just set them free release them from the bondage caused them to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of their flesh Lord we glorify your name we bless your name we declare that you alone are true and holy and we want to live lives that are well pleasing to you we ask all this and the amazing the wonderful the powerful name of Jesus and God's people all set a mad [Applause] you

Channel: Calvary Chapel South Bay

Views: 7,115

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Keywords: ccsb, ccsouthbay, Calvary Chapel South Bay, South Bay, Jesus Christ, Lord, God, Jeff Gill, Pastor Jeff Gill, Bible, Scriptures

Id: XT0iU5ISE5U

Length: 45min 9sec (2709 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 02 2017