Now, I want you to take your Bibles and turn in them to Ephesians 5, verse 18.
One of the clear advantages of expositional preaching, and how many of you know what I mean by expositional preaching?
Wave at me or smile so I can see front and lower teeth.
Okay.
Okay, there are enough of you that, yeah.
Now, probably I'll explain just for a moment.
One of the clear advantages of expositional preaching is that the preacher is committed by the work of exposition,
or explaining the Word of God, and in doing so in the order in which God has given us His Word,
that the preacher is limited from avoiding hard things or from choosing those things that would be His preference.
What it means is that God, who has revealed His Word, expects that it be explained to His people for their blessing,
for their good.
And expositional preaching means that the preacher is responsible to begin where God begins and to work through the text in such a fashion that people at the end of a sermon,
or at the end of a series, or at the end of a man's ministry can say,
He explained the Word of God.
One of the things that I have been a little struck by lately is the number of times I've had people who have visited our fellowship and have made comment to me,
your preaching is different.
And I would expect that because God uses all kinds of people in the pulpit,
that there are certain aspects to which there's a lot of different preaching out there.
In that preaching involves the person and the text.
But the thing that I found most striking, as I've heard people comment on the difference of preaching here,
whether it's Pastor Saul or me or whoever stands in the pulpit,
is that the central theme or the activity in which preaching really is engaged in is dealing with the text.
And it's the thing.
I mean, the Bible is not the launching point for me to kind of go off on some kind of little storyline,
but at the end of the day, you should walk away saying,
Yeah, we covered these verses, and here's what that means.
Now, listen to me.
Preaching really is a Spirit-enabled
heralding of what God thinks.
You got that?
It's what God has to say.
And one of the difficulties, honestly, of preaching
is that it comes wrapped in skin.
And there are many days when I go home
and I wish that there'd been less skin and more text.
I work at that.
And I'm very thankful for your prayers regarding that.
Because when it's all said and done,
the one thing that I want you to remember is,
this is what God says.
Now,
I bring that up because
if I were not committed to exposition of the Scriptures,
the first half of this
verse,
where I'd skip,
I'd just gloss over it.
But I am committed to being faithful to the text.
And I'll say that again.
I am committed to be faithful to the text.
And I've got to tell you,
honestly, as I was praying,
and I've been praying about this passage
for weeks.
I study in advance,
and I knew we were coming to this,
and I remember thinking to myself,
there's a high probability
that I'm going to make most of you in here irritated.
I mean,
there are some days that I know I managed to irritate some of you,
but I don't often think
that I'm going to irritate most of you.
And this is probably one of those days
where when it's all said and done,
there are going to be some of you
who wish I'd said something else,
and others of you wish that I hadn't said what I did.
And so it's like,
it's all right.
I mean that.
I am, who knows,
20 years from checkout,
and when that happens,
I want to hear Jesus say,
good job.
So let's look at the passage.
Ephesians chapter 5, verse 18,
it says,
and do not get drunk with wine.
I am going to preach this morning on drinking.
So the first point is this,
the Bible on drunkenness,
because that's what the text says.
Do you see it?
Right there it is.
Ephesians 5, 18a,
that's the way it's actually in my computer
so I can find it again.
Ephesians 5, 18a,
that means the first half of the verse,
do not get drunk with wine.
I do think it's appropriate for us to remember
that when we deal with the Scriptures,
we always are instructed to handle the context.
And so I want to say up front
that this passage is not primarily a proof text
for the abstinence of alcoholic consumption.
It is actually in the larger frame of things
a command to live a Spirit-filled Christian life.
And I got to tell you,
living a Spirit-filled Christian life
is supremely important.
It is far more important
than I think many people
who profess to know Christ today
really understand.
And so after having called believers
to live their lives for the glory of Christ
and for the sake of others,
Paul now comes to a fundamental
and blessed truth of Christian living.
We are to live out our faith
through the power of the Spirit of God
who indwells us.
In fact, a central tenet or principle
of our salvation
is that we're not in our salvation
just given another set of rules
to work off of.
We are brought into personal relationship
with the Lord of glory
and with the Lord Jesus Christ in particular.
And we who have salvation
have the indwelling Spirit.
I got to tell you,
that is a whole lot better
than you may think.
It's fantastic.
Salvation makes us new.
And it places us in a divine relationship
with the triune God.
And Christian living,
and I want you to think about this with me,
Christian living,
is for the glory of God
in union with Christ
through the enabling of the Spirit.
For the glory of God
in union with Christ
through the enabling of the Spirit.
I want you to stop just for a moment
and recognize that,
listen, the Bible is very, very clear on this,
that salvation is something
that doesn't happen
in the power of the flesh.
What I mean by that
is that if you are sitting here this morning
and you know the Lord Jesus Christ
is your personal Savior,
it's not like it all happened
just because you figured it out.
Now, it is true that your mind
and your heart were engaged in that,
but the Scriptures tell us
that prior to our conversion,
we were dead in trespasses and sin.
And how do the dead come to life?
Does anybody know?
Dead people come to life
only by the power of the Spirit of God.
I love,
I love Ezekiel
and the vision in the valley of dry bones.
There's a song that goes with that,
you know,
and I'm not going to sing it this morning,
but, you know,
dim bones, dim bones,
gonna,
it's got a rock to it,
so I like that.
You know,
and here,
anyway,
let's get back to the text,
you know,
stay with the Bible,
not the other,
here,
God asked the prophet a question,
he says,
can these bones live again?
What was Ezekiel's answer?
If you do the King James,
it's thou knowest,
O Lord.
He's saying,
here's what he's saying,
it's up to you,
right?
Salvation is of the Lord.
One of the things that we're going to learn
as we work our way through the passage
is that it's not just salvation that's of the Lord,
it's also Christian living.
It's also Christian living.
You know,
as I get older,
and that's happening,
as I get older,
I am reminded more and more often
of just how absolutely dependent I am
upon the Spirit.
And when I don't rely on the Spirit,
it's not real pretty.
And what Paul is going to do
later in the passage
is he's going to encourage us,
and we're going to deal with that
next time,
he says,
but be filled with the Spirit.
So,
what we're looking at here
in the first part of this verse
is a comparison
to help us understand something.
don't be drunk with wine,
but be filled with the Spirit.
However,
I want to make this clear.
God does not intend
this little statement,
don't be drunk with wine,
to be taken merely
or exclusively
for the sake of comparison.
It is instruction as well.
Spoken to those who are believers.
In the church in Ephesus,
and by extension,
the Spirit of God
intends for this passage
to inform the lives
of believers today,
here,
now.
And the reason I say that
is because
Paul chooses
to use
the imperative
when he says,
do not be drunk with wine.
I do want you to understand
that evidently,
drunkenness
was a problem
not only in the city of Ephesus,
but it was a challenge
in the early church.
There are many illustrations of that,
and I will not go into all of them,
but just a reminder,
the fact that he says it
implies that it was something
that needed to be said.
The truth of the matter is
is that drunkenness
has been a problem
since the fall,
and it has contributed
incredible heartache
and suffering
on mankind.
I am far too well acquainted
with the effect
of drunkenness
on people,
and over the years
of life,
I have seen
what alcohol does
to families
and to individuals,
and its absolute,
horrible impact
on people's
well-being.
The Bible
always speaks
of drunkenness
as something
that's negative.
I'm not going to list
all the texts
for you this morning
because we have one
right here
in verse 18
where it says,
do not be drunk with,
it's an imperative,
it's a command,
this is not what
the believer
is to be doing.
Now, in case you're
wondering,
alcohol is a depressant.
How many of you
realize that?
Alcohol is a depressant,
and what it depresses
from the very moment
that it is taken in,
it depresses
a man's ability
to reason
and to react.
In our culture,
that really is not
thinking biblically
at the moment,
and I don't mean that
in a negative way,
but I'm just saying
our culture has
all kinds of limitations
on the consumption
of alcohol.
Do you understand that?
I mean,
there are laws
against it
for those who are
under 21.
Should a believer
drink at all
if they're under 21,
and what's the answer?
Now, listen to me,
because some of you
are out here thinking,
yeah, right.
Romans 13 says
that we are to obey
those who God
has put in authority
over us.
So, he's the one
who has ordained
civil law.
And so,
understand this,
the issue of drunkenness,
from the very moment
you take in alcohol,
it begins to depress
your ability
to think
and react appropriately.
In fact,
as you look at the passage
in verse 18,
it says,
do not get drunk
with wine,
for that is
debauchery
or dissipation
or excess,
depending on
your translation.
the idea
in the Greek
is not simply
that drunkenness
is going to end up
in excessive behavior,
but it's really
talking about the fact
that in broad terms,
alcohol,
what it does
is it dulls
or desensitizes
your ability
to think properly
and clearly,
and the judgments
that follow
are proportionate.
one of the things
I was thinking about
this week
is that I anticipate
in a couple weeks
or so,
well,
this is November 17th,
so there's a while
to go,
but about a week
or so before
Christmas
and then right around
New Year's Day,
there will be
a flurry of articles
in the papers
and on the web
about drunken behavior
at parties.
Do you know
why they send those out?
Does anybody know?
it's because
so many people
do incredibly stupid things
at company parties
and some people actually,
well,
suffice it to say,
there are little warnings
that you could lose your job
if you act like
an absolute ignoramus.
You know,
alcohol,
remember what it is?
It's a depressant.
It depresses your ability
to think clearly
and so the attitude
you've had towards
your boss
all along.
The Christmas party,
three sheets to the wind
and it's time for you
to tell the truth.
Okay?
The Bible condemns
drunkenness.
The Bible clearly
prohibits it.
And you look at a number
of different passages
in relationship to it
and recognize
the Bible has no support
at all
for a believer
ever being drunk.
By the way,
question,
just so that you are
aware of this.
I did some research
just to kind of check
and I think,
Greg,
you can help me with this,
Officer Bernard.
I think you have to blow
.08 alcohol
to be drunk.
Is that the case?
Okay.
That's when you're
over the line.
I don't know
by personal experience,
but I understand
that it depends
on body weight
and anywhere
between two
and three beers
or two
or three little shots
and you're over the line.
And when you're
over the line
and you're caught
driving in that state,
that state referring,
not the state of Ohio,
but in that condition,
guess what the consequences are?
I don't want to ask you
to tell me from experience,
but I can tell you this,
that it doesn't go well
with you.
Our culture
is concerned.
But let's come
to a second question.
The Bible's
against drunkenness.
Let's talk about
the Bible on drinking.
Let me start
with a statement
and then support it
with the Scripture.
The Bible does not
condemn all drinking.
The Bible does not
condemn all drinking.
And I have no doubt
that hearing me say that
may irritate some of you
and cause others of you
to say,
see, I told you so.
You know,
Moody Bible Institute
this year
decided that it would
take a different stance
than it had historically
on the matter of
the drinking of
its staff members
and those who were
above the age,
et cetera.
And it caused
quite a flurry.
And I seldom
make comments
on Facebook
and I didn't make
any comments
in this case.
I'm not here
this morning
to talk about
Moody Bible Institute.
I do want you
to understand
that their premise
that it is not
something that's
prohibited in the Bible
is accurate.
There's undeniable
proof
that believers
drank alcohol
in the Old Testament
and the New Testament
and I cannot
support the
principle of
complete abstinence
from the text
itself.
There was wine
that was drunk
and I want you
to understand
that I have
heard the arguments
that the wine
that was drunk
was so watered
down that it
really would take
you drinking
several gallons
for you to become
inebriated.
I don't buy
that argument
and I'll tell
you why.
When Noah
got drunk
in Genesis
chapter 9
verse 21
it uses
the Hebrew
word
yayin
and it's
the same
word that
is used
over
in Leviticus
chapter 10
verse 9.
I want you
to look at
this one.
You're in
Ephesians
but turn back
to Leviticus
chapter 10
verse 9.
I think
the
by the way
you go
G-E-L-N-D
how many
of you
heard me?
G-E-L-N-D
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy.
Okay I just
wanted to coach
you there a
little bit
and I got
mixed up.
Anyway
Leviticus
chapter 9
this is God
giving
imperatives
or commands
explicitly
to the
priests.
10
verse 9
drink no
wine or
strong drink
you or
your sons
with you.
What's the
next word?
Put your
finger on it.
Put your
finger on it.
Drink no
wine or
strong drink
you or
your sons
with you.
What's the
next word?
What is it?
When
you go
into the
tent of
meeting
lest you
die.
It shall
be a
statute
forever
throughout
your
generation.
Let me
give you
a comparison
so you
understand
this.
I read
this week
that
FBI
agents are
not allowed
to take
a single
drink
10 hours
before they
go on
duty.
Do you
have an
idea why
they would
say something
like that?
I would
imagine it
has something
to do with
blood chemistry
and the
fact that
your blood
purges itself
or your
body kind
of purges
out the
alcoholic
effect over
a certain
amount of
time.
So anyway,
any of you
here that
are FBI
agents,
you're 10
hours before
you can
step onto
the clock.
Abstinence.
The priest,
when he was
going in to
do his
priestly duty,
the imperative,
the command
of God was
don't you be
touching that
stuff at
all when
you go on
duty.
Do you
follow that?
Does that
make sense?
Nod your
head if you
can see it
in the
Bible.
I'm not
asking you
if you
agree,
I'm just
asking you
can you
see it
in the
Bible?
Okay.
Well,
it was the
same word,
it is the
same word
that is used
to refer to
the Nazarite
vows.
How many
of you
here are
familiar with
the vows
that Nazarites
took?
Nazarite
vow,
among those
different
particulars,
was that
you didn't
touch
wine,
or anything
that was
made from
grapes,
including
raisins.
Can you
imagine oatmeal
without raisins?
If you're a
Nazarite,
no raisins.
Okay,
now,
turn in your
Bible,
you don't need
to go to
Numbers
passage,
but I want
you to go
to the
Amos
text,
Amos
chapter 2.
Amos,
Obadiah,
you know
how it
goes,
right?
It's nice
to have
Joel and
Andrea here,
and Joel
comes right
before Amos.
Amos
chapter 2,
verse 12.
Here is what
was going on
in the nation
of Israel.
Listen,
this is
interesting.
The Israelites
didn't like
the fact
that the
Nazarites
were keeping
to their
vows and
were abstaining
from wine,
and so the
Israelites,
any time a
Nazarite would
come walking
around and
say,
hey,
we want
you to
drink.
No,
no,
I'm a
Nazarite.
Big deal.
And they
would force
the Nazarites
to drink.
What would
they ask
the Nazarites
to drink?
Guess
what?
Wine.
Verse 12,
But you
made the
Nazarites
drink wine
and commanded
the prophets
saying,
you shall not
prophesy.
The Nazarites
were being
forced to
violate their
oath of
abstinence.
Now,
look at another
passage in Amos.
Amos chapter 9,
verse 14.
And what
chapter 9 is
really talking
about,
first is the
destruction of
the nation of
Israel,
and then it's
talking about
the restoration
that is going
to come.
God is going
to bless
these people
after he
gives them
a very firm
hand in
discipline.
And there in
verse 14 it
says,
I will restore
the fortunes
of my people
Israel,
and they shall
rebuild the
ruined cities
and inhabit
them.
They shall
plant vineyards
and drink
their wine.
Same word
that we found
previously in
reference to
Nazarites being
forced to
drink.
It is evident
that John the
Baptist in the
New Testament
took a
Nazarite vow,
and the reason
we know that,
if you are there
in Amos,
you go forward
to the book
of Luke,
and in Luke
chapter 1,
we read a very
interesting statement.
Luke chapter
1,
verse 15,
it says,
For he will be
great before the
Lord,
and he must not
drink wine or
strong drink,
and he will be
filled with the
Spirit even from
his mother's
womb.
Talk about
Jesus.
I'm talking about
John the
Baptist.
On the other
side of it,
we understand that
when Jesus came
to the wedding
feast at Cana,
do you know
what he did?
He turned
ordinary
agua purificada
into
oinos.
Let me do that
in English.
He turned
water into
wine.
Okay?
It is clear
that if a
Nazarite vow
was to complete
abstinence,
that the same
stipulation,
I want you to
understand this
and follow and
track with me,
it would have
been very easy
for the Holy
Spirit to be
just as clear
saying,
y'all,
you all,
all of you,
if you are a
believer,
are not to
drink wine,
period,
just like a
Nazarite.
My point is,
God could have
made it undeniably
clear regarding
this subject.
Okay?
So now,
let's come to
the last point.
Let's do a
little bit of
review here,
and I trust
that you'll
bear with me
if I go over
a couple minutes
things.
First point is,
drunkenness is
what?
Prohibited.
God doesn't
want believers
to be drunk
with wine.
Ever.
Drinking,
we're not
talking about
being inebriated,
we're not
talking about
being under
the influence,
drinking is
not prohibited
in Scripture.
Let's talk
about the Bible
now on
Christian living.
Scripture
clearly prohibits
drunkenness,
Scripture does
not prohibit
all drinking,
but that brings
us back to
set our
question in
the larger
context of
Paul's
instruction to
the Ephesian
church.
And so,
go back in
your Bible,
if you will,
and we're
going to keep
referencing this
to instruct
or inform
our thinking.
Okay,
let me read
for you
Ephesians
chapter 5,
beginning there
in verse 15
and through
to verse 17,
it says this,
Look carefully
then how you
walk,
not as unwise
but as wise,
making the
best use
of the time
because the
days are evil.
Therefore,
do not be
foolish,
but understand
what the will
of the Lord
is.
Being wise
and making
the most
of our
brief time
in this
darkened
world
calls for
us to
think
carefully
about
several
things.
For one,
what is
God's will
for wise
living in
this dark
world?
It says
be wise,
well,
what does
that mean?
Immediately
following that
statement,
Paul makes
this strong
statement,
and I
would broaden
the context
to encourage
you to realize
this,
that my
liberty as a
believer
is not a
cause for
others to
stumble.
Look in
your Bible
at Romans
chapter 14
verse 13
through 23.
Go back a
little bit
to Romans
chapter 14
verse 13
through 23.
3.
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.
other.
I have a
responsibility
as a
believer to
other believers
in particular
that I am
not to cause
them to stumble
in any
manner,
fashion,
or form.
Now,
you may be
surprised at
this,
but there
are far
more than
you think
in our
fellowship
that at
one time
or another
have struggled
very seriously
with the
matter of
alcohol.
Would it
be right
for me
to engage
in doing
something that
would harm
them and
cause them
to stumble?
And what's
the answer
from this
passage?
Help me
out.
What's the
answer from
this passage?
No.
Do I have
a right of
saying,
well,
that's their
problem?
No.
I do want
you to
understand
that
that I
think it's
not merely
or only
the matter
of my
effect upon
my fellow
believer that
struggles with
the consumption
of alcohol,
but it's
also my
effect on
unbelievers
that know
of my walk
and life
and pay
attention to
my testimony.
I've got to
tell you
something.
I've lived
long enough
where I live
that everybody
in my
neighborhood
knows that
I'm a
Baptist
pastor.
I was
incognito
for the
first six
or eight
months.
And during
that time,
I worked
very,
very hard
to be
the
neighbor
exceptional.
You know,
I mean,
people needed
their lawns
raised,
I helped
them.
People needed
to snowball
or run,
I helped
them.
And it
was after
the fact
that they
discovered
this
exceptionally
friendly and
helpful guy
was actually
a Baptist
pastor.
And I
got to
tell you,
my
neighborhood
is probably
a lot
like your
neighborhood
in that
the people,
we have a
really interesting
mix of the
dark world
that we live
in,
okay?
I remember
when my
neighbor a
couple weeks
ago came
home from
a football
game and
he was so
drunk that
he couldn't
get out of
his car.
I actually
remember two
weeks prior to
that where
he told me,
yeah,
we're getting
married.
You know why
he was laughing?
Because they'd
been living
together for a
year.
I mean,
it was like
he was a
little embarrassed.
Remember,
I'm a Baptist
pastor.
He was a
little embarrassed
to tell me
that we're
finally going
to get
married.
And I
have been
over to
their homes
and,
you know,
the courtesy
is to say,
well,
here,
have one.
Oh,
you're a
pastor.
Sorry.
It's not like
I went,
no.
EpiPen.
You know.
Listen to me.
They assume.
This is what I
ought to do
because I
profess that
Jesus is my
Lord.
I've never
once heard
from anybody's
lips
that you have
harmed the
testimony of
Christ by your
unwillingness to
imbibe.
Never.
And folks,
I worked for
three years in
the armpit of
the world in
international
harvester.
Well,
I am
sensitive,
and when I
think about
what Bible
encourages me
to think about
in relationship
to Christian
living,
I think it's
appropriate for
me to recognize
that I have to
be sensitive
to the
community he
put me in.
several
illustrations of
that.
One would be
in the passage
in Jeremiah
chapter 35
verse 1
through 14.
How many of
you are familiar
with the
Rachabites?
Wave your hand
at me if you
are Rachabite
identifiers.
The Rachabites,
I'm going to
tell the story.
Jeremiah,
and by the way,
he did not have
a very enthusiastic
or he didn't
have the kind
of pastoral
ministry that
anybody would
want.
Do you know
what it was?
He was going
around telling
people that
God was tired
of their sin
and he was
going to give
them a lick
and they
wouldn't forget.
He was called
the weeping
prophet.
Anyway,
God tells
Jeremiah,
bring in the
Rachabites.
This is a
tribe or a
clan of one
of the tribes
of Israel,
and their
father.
Now listen
to this
because we
have young
people today
who have
problems following
their parents'
instructions after
they're 18.
When I'm out
of the house,
I'm doing
what I want.
Hear that?
The Rachabites
had their,
I don't know,
their great,
great,
just add
greats on
top of that
because it
was 240
years prior
to the day
that Jeremiah
calls the
Rachabites
into a room
and he
asks them
to sit
down and
then he
walks out
and he
puts little
jars of
wine in
front of
them.
Wine.
Oinos.
Yayin.
Clunk,
clunk,
clunk.
And this
is the
prophet,
the pastor,
says,
drink it.
And they
said,
no.
Our
father,
Rachab,
told us
not to
do this
and we're
not.
240
years,
this
particular
group,
community,
family,
followed
their
father's
mandate.
The reason
I bring
that to
you is
that we
find in
scripture,
remember,
were there
other people
in Israel
at this
time that
drank wine
and did
not receive
God's
thunderous
curse?
No.
They could
do it.
Jeremiah
says,
hey,
you guys
drink this.
They said,
no,
no.
Our
great,
whatever,
grandfather
said,
don't do
it and
we're
not.
Here's
what God
said.
You guys
are an
illustration
of a
people that
are willing
to submit.
And by
the way,
when all
the rest
of the
people in
Israel are
being butchered
and mistreated,
you guys
are going
to miraculously
survive and
there will
never lack
for a man
to stand
in my
presence
from this
small group
of people.
Let's
look at
another
point,
passage.
Acts chapter
15.
And here's
the point
that I'm
making,
is that we
find in
Scripture that
while wine
was generally
something was
accepted,
there are
illustrations of
communities that
chose to not
engage in it,
and we
understand that
there are
times,
we find in
Scripture,
where communities
chose to not
do certain
things so that
they didn't
compromise the
effectiveness of
their testimony.
Let's look
now,
if we would,
at Acts chapter
15.
Acts chapter
15,
verse 20.
Now,
this is the
church in
Jerusalem.
I'm getting
hot,
so bear
with me.
The church
in Jerusalem
was meeting
to discuss
the matter
of Gentiles
being brought
into the
church.
And by the
way,
the Jews
wanted the
Gentiles to
keep all
of the Old
Testament law,
circumcision,
the whole
nine yards,
Sabbath worship,
etc.
And they
said,
no.
But we
are going
to ask you
to do
four things.
Look at
the verse
in verse
20.
We should
write to
them to
abstain from
the things
polluted by
idols,
from sexual
immorality,
and from the
thing that has
been strangled,
and from
blood.
Of that
list,
three of
the four
are then
reversed.
And we
know that
they're reversed
because in
1 Corinthians,
let me double
check my
text,
in 1 Corinthians
8,
remember that
lengthy discussion
about the
matter of
meat offered
to idols?
Paul says,
hey,
you can go
for it.
Here,
it says,
three of the
four things
that are on
that four
list,
that list of
four things,
are really
reflective of
the fact that
the early
church had
its genesis,
or its
starting point,
in the
Jewish community,
and in the
Jewish community,
these things
were just
too much
to stomach.
And so,
the early
church says,
you Gentiles,
don't be
involved in
immorality,
that's a
permanent
no-no.
But the
other things
that we
want you
to kind
of decide
you're not
going to
do,
is you're
not going
to give
offense to
your Jewish
brethren.
You're not
going to
hurt them.
And so,
we have an
illustration
of believers
choosing to
submit to
the well-being
of the
community in
which they
were placed.
And I
think that
abstaining
helps a
Christian's
testimony in
our day.
I really
do.
I really
do.
That brings
me to one
more point.
Our fellowship
has a set
of standards
of service
for those
who are
called as
models and
humbly serve
as leaders
in our
fellowship.
Very
interesting what
it says in
Proverbs
chapter 31
verse 4.
It says,
listen,
it is not
for kings
and those
who rule,
King
Lemuel,
it is not
for kings
to drink
and be
engaged in
strong drink.
And the
reason that
it is given
there is
that
those who
engage in
it lose
some of
their ability
to make
wise judgments.
I was
not here,
some of you
are thinking
I've been
here forever,
but I was
not here
when this
church had
its first
meeting,
nor was I
here when
the Constitutional
Committee
formed and
went through
and actually
did something
that at
that time
was atypical.
Characteristic
back in the
60s,
50s,
was that
all churches
had a church
covenant.
How many of you
remember a church
that had a church
covenant?
Furthermore,
we will forswear
that blah,
blah,
you know,
and you generally
went on about
a whole page
and I know
some churches
have it written
in the Constitution
that you must
recite the
church covenant
at least once
a month.
I have a
pastor friend
that lost
his job
because he
didn't do it.
This church
has never
had a church
covenant
that I know
of,
but it has
standards of
service,
and the
standards of
service
indicate
that those
who serve
as leaders
and examples
and models
are to be
exemplary
in their walk,
and that
includes
the area
of abstinence.
So can I say
with unqualified
confidence
that your
pastors
and leaders,
deacons,
teachers,
etc.,
practice abstinence?
I can tell you
with a clear
conscience,
I know of
no one
who is in
that role
that does
not abstain
from alcohol
not because
of a
biblical
prohibition
against wine,
but because
of their
sensitivity
to the
testimony
of Christ
and the
well-being
of the
bride.
Listen.
Do I wish
that all
of God's
people
desired
first
and foremost
to have
glorious
testimonies
of the
glory of
Christ
and His
salvation
and would
be willing
to live
sacrificial
lives for
the kingdom?
That's my
desire.
I think
gospel
impact
is enhanced
by personal
and private
pursuit
of holiness
and humility.
And so
let me kind of
bring it all
together
this way.
because God
has placed
me as a
believer
in a
community,
I think
it is
important
that all
I do
reflect glory
to His
name
and draw
others to
Christ.
Let me
give you an
illustration
from the
passage.
1 Corinthians
chapter 10
31 through
33 and I'm
just going to
recite the
center part
of it.
It says
whatever you
do,
whether you
eat or
drink,
what's it
say?
Do all
to the glory
of Christ.
Am I going
to make
Jesus look
good?
So let me
close with one
more passage
and go back
if you would
to Ephesians
chapter 5
verse 16.
Ephesians
chapter 5
verse 16.
Here's what it
says.
It says,
make the
best use.
Make the
best use
of the
time
because the
days are
evil.
I remember
a week or
two ago
saying,
hey listen,
getting saved
means being
a candle.
And it
means keep
putting in
dark places,
right?
I don't want
anything to
cast a shadow
across the
clearness of
the light
of my life
or yours.
Do you
know why?
Mark
chapter 10
verse 45,
for the
son of
man came
not to
be ministered
unto,
can you
cite it
with me?
But to
minister and
to give
his life
a ransom
for many.
I want
to be
careful that
the way
I live
in no way
casts a
shadow
upon the
power of
the gospel
to save
and change
people's
lives.
Let's
close.
with prayer.
Father,
your word
is a lamp
unto my
feet
and a
light
always.
And I
and many
here
can confess
that we
were once
darkness
and we
are now
light.
And our
hearts resonate
with the
passage in
2 Corinthians
chapter 5
where it
says,
and we
thus judge
that if
all were
dead,
that we
now who
live because
of Christ
live not
unto
ourselves,
but unto
him who
died and
rose again.
give us
a passion
to live
exemplary
lives
in a
dark
world.
And I
ask this
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.
Thank you.