I.        A SATURATED SOCIETY

A.      The society in which we live is filled with the devastating influences and effects of alcohol use.  Consider the following:

                                                             1.      Notice first the efforts made by the alcohol industry to market their products.

a.       American television depicts alcohol use or advertises alcohol every 6 seconds. (Detroit Free Press)

b.       In 2002, the beer industry alone spent $1.2 billion in advertising in the United States. (Center for Science in the Public Interest)

c.        A study in 2002 showed that the fifteen most popular television shows for teens featured alcohol advertising. (The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth)

                                                             2.      Now consider the return received by companies that produce alcoholic beverages.

a.       According to a report by the Journal of the American Medical Association, Americans spent $116.2 billion on alcoholic beverages in 1999.

b.       That is more money that the gross annual product of twenty-seven individual states for that same year (Bureau of Economic Analysis).

c.        Of the $116.2 billion, $22.5 billion (19%) was attributed to underage drinking and $34.4 billion (30%) was attributed to adult excessive drinking.  Quoting the report, “These data suggest that underage drinkers and adult excessive drinkers are responsible for 50.1% of alcohol consumption and 48.9% of consumer expenditure.”

                                                             3.      The result of the marketing, sales, and consumption of alcohol is devastating to the nation.

a.       25% to 40% of all patients in U.S. general hospital beds are being treated for complications of alcohol-related problems (Columbia University Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse).

b.       50% of all traffic fatalities involve alcohol (Detroit Free Press).

c.        64% of all murders in America are committed under the influence of alcohol (Detroit Free Press).

d.       Alcohol damages 100% of the body's organs (Detroit Free Press).

e.        60% of all child abuse involves alcohol (Detroit Free Press).

f.        Alcoholics outnumber drug addicts 10 to 1 (Detroit Free Press).

                                                             4.      These are only a few of the statistics available that show how prevalent and destructive alcohol use is in the United States.  Many more could be cited to prove the point.

B.      With the prevalence of alcohol in our society, we must not ignore the issue.

                                                             1.      The influence of alcohol advertising must be corrected, especially to our young people.

                                                             2.      The reality of alcohol’s effect on the body and especially the soul needs to be told.

II.      MAY A CHRISTIAN DRINK ALCOHOL?

A.      With such a strong influence around us, Christians need to know God’s will for them regarding alcohol.

                                                             1.      Some may conclude that a Christian may use alcohol because there is no explicit command in the Bible stating, “Thou shalt not drink any alcohol.”

                                                             2.      There are no explicit commands stating that Christians are not to use cocaine and heroin either, but there are biblical principles governing all of these.

B.      It is important that we understand the Bible terms “wine” and “strong drink.”

                                                             1.      Today’s wine should not be assumed to be the same as the wine during Bible times.

a.       The wine drank in the ancient world was actually grape juice (fermented or unfermented) diluted with water.  Most of the time the wine was being used to purify the water because other purification methods were difficult.

b.       Oinos is the general word used for wine in the New Testament.  It could refer to fermented (with alcohol) wine or unfermented wine.

c.        Gleukos is the Greek word for sweet new wine, and it also could be fermented or unfermented.

d.       Some ancient writers reveal to us the truth about wine in their times.

i.         In the 8th century B.C., Homer revealed in The Odyssey that wine was diluted by 20 parts water to one part of wine.

ii.        Pliny, who lived in the 2nd century A.D., wrote of wine being diluted by eight parts of water to one part of wine.

iii.      Many other ancient writers recorded similar proportions with the average being three or four parts of water to one part of wine.

                                                             2.      Today's wine, beer and spirits are, by biblical definition, “strong drink.”

a.       Strong drink in the ancient world was considered to be one part water and one part wine.

i.         Anyone who drank wine unmixed with water was looked on as a Scythian or a barbarian.

ii.        Therefore, all of today's wine, beer and spirits are qualified as strong drink.

iii.      Also, modern techniques provide for alcoholic drinks to be produced with much higher levels of alcohol content than in biblical times.

b.       One researcher calculated that “in New Testament times one would need to drink twenty-two glasses of wine in order to consume the large amount of alcohol in two martinis today” (Robert H. Stein, “Wine-Drinking in New Testament Times,” Christianity Today, June 20, l975).

                                                             3.      If we can understand the Bible terms “wine” and “strong drink,” then surely we can understand the Bible warnings to us about using these.

a.       Consider Proverbs 20:1 – “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.”

i.         Only a fool drinks wine and strong drink because those things act against him.

ii.        Wine is like an insult to him.

iii.      Strong drink “rages” (KJV) against him.

b.       Consider Proverbs 23:29-32 and the warnings of this passage in light of modern advertising for alcoholic beverages.

C.      Let us consider reasons why a Christian should not drink alcohol.

                                                             1.      The Scriptures explicitly prohibit drunkenness (Eph. 5:18; 1Cor. 6:9-10).

                                                             2.      One does not become a drunkard without taking a first drink of alcohol (Jas. 4:7; 1Cor. 10:13).

                                                             3.      Alcohol is addictive.  To drink it is to yield control of oneself to its power (1Cor. 6:12).

                                                             4.      A Christian has a new way of life that does not include alcoholic beverages (1Pet. 4:1-3).  Consider the activities that are prohibited in this passage:

a.       Drunkenness, which is intoxication or alcoholism;

b.       Carousals, which are the foolish actions that results from intoxication;

c.        Drinking parties, which are drinking bouts and social drinking.

                                                             5.      “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” (1Thess. 5:21-22)

a.       Alcoholic beverages as they are sold today certainly cannot be qualified as good.

b.       Alcoholic beverages and their effects are clearly evil.  Therefore, a Christian must abstain.

                                                             6.      The use of alcohol has a negative influence on a Christian’s brethren.

a.       “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.” (Rom. 14:21)

b.       Even if your conscience is convinced that you can drink alcoholic beverages, what influence do you have on your brother?

                                                             7.      If a Christian cannot drink alcoholic beverages in the name of the Lord, then he cannot drink them.

a.       Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Col. 3:17)

b.       Would the Lord commend any of the strong drinks that are sold today?

c.        Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

                                                             8.      The Bible commends sobriety (1Pet. 1:13; 4:7; 5:8).

D.      Conversely, there are no good reasons for why a Christian should drink alcohol.

                                                             1.      Those who argue in favor of Christians drinking alcoholic beverages present hollow arguments.

                                                             2.      The facts that Jesus turned water to wine and that Paul told Timothy to take wine for his stomach ailments do not justify a Christian who wants to drink.

E.       Therefore, the case is well-made that a Christian must abstain from modern alcoholic beverages.  Nothing good results from the use of alcohol, but there is an abundance of evil associated with it.