February 4, 2007
“Drunkenness: It’s More than a Drinking Problem”
Ephesians 5:18
I. Wine is the King or Queen of Drinks!
1. It was Christ’s Choice for His first miracle – John 2:1-11
2. It was / is Christ’s Choice to symbolize His precious blood in the celebration of our Lord’s Supper – Mark 14:23-26
3. It will be drank by Christ Himself in His coming Kingdom – Mark 14:25
4. It is the preferred drink for special occasions – Genesis 14:18-20
5. It has a soothing / healing influence if used in moderation – 1 Timothy 5:23
6. Wine was considered a blessing from God and a sign of prosperity – Deuteronomy 7:11-13; Psalm 104:15; Proverbs 3:5-10
7. Wine was a blessing due to wisdom – Proverbs 9:1-6
8. Wine was included with Israel’s offerings to the Lord – Exodus 29:40-41; Leviticus 23:13; Numbers 15:5-10
II. Yet, wine is certainly not an unmixed blessing –
1. Wine causes Noah’s shame, the sin of Ham and the curse of Canaan – Genesis 9:21-25
2. Wine can be a tool of deception – Genesis 19:32-36
3. Therefore, wine is quite dangerous (when you drink too much) – Jeremiah 13:12-14
A. It is a mocker, brawler – Proverbs 20:1
B. It can take your money – Proverbs 21:17
C. It bites like a serpent – Proverbs 23:30-35
D. Drunk driving kills
4. Worse yet, it is possibly to be spiritually drunk even without wine:
A. According to the judgment of God – Isaiah 29:9-14; Psalm 60:3
B. According to spiritual fornication that deserves God’s wrath – Jeremiah 51:7; Revelation 14:8-10
III. How are Christians to handle wine?
1. John the Baptist did not drink – Luke 1:13-15
2. Jesus did drink – Luke 7:33-34
3. Use it moderately, do not get drunk – Ephesians 5:18
4. Those in responsible positions should be especially careful:
A. Kings or leaders – Proverbs 31:4-5
B. Elders – 1 Timothy 3:3
C. Deacons – 1 Timothy 3:8
D. Older women / leaders among women – Titus 2:3
IV. The Great Alternative – “be filled with the Spirit”
1. Like good wine, the Spirit can fill us with “joy” – 1 Thessalonians 1:6; Acts 13:52; Ephesians 5:19
2. Unlike wine, we need not limit our intake of God’s Spirit, we are called to be “filled” – Ephesians 5:18
A. We are to pray fervently for God’s Spirit – Luke 11:9-13
B. We are to avoid grieving the Spirit thru sin – Ephesians 4:30
3. Unlike wine, being “filled” with the Spirit increases rather than diminishes our abilities – Acts 2:4; 4:8-9; 4:31; Exodus 31:1-4
A. God’s Spirit teaches us – John 14:26
B. God’s Spirit helps us to pray – Romans 8:26-27
C. God’s Spirit sharpens rather than dulls our spiritual senses – 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
D. This militates against the idea that being “spiritual” means shooting your mind to the moon or meditating it into nothingness – Psalm 119:11 & 105
E. God’s Spirit leads us thru this sin-filled world – Galatians 5:16-25; Matthew 7:13-14; Ephesians 5:15-17
