Dad, Can I Have a Drink? - Brett Hickey 10/25/06

It's great to be with the family of God this evening.

We have an excellent crowd here so much, appreciate all the

effort you put forth to be here tonight.

We have those from here and locally and Yonder places, and

we're happy to have all of you. Here, we announced previously

that we'd be talking on this subject tomorrow night.

And I was informed that the congregation at Brundage would

be able to be here tonight. So I've decided to go ahead and

address this topic which is in the past, I guess, big been a

controversial topic and then I thought it really wasn't.

That controversial. And then I understand its

controversial again and people have questions and a new

generation is growing up. Little boys and girls are

becoming young men and women and they need to know what the Bible

has to say on this subject and is going to come a time when

these little boys and girls get older, where they're going to

ask us who are parents. Can we have a drink?

We're talking tonight on social drinking recreational drinking.

Turn with me. If you would to John Chapter 2

John 2 · chapter mention

will read verses 1 through 11. I guess if there's any so-called

proof text for those out in the world, many of which don't

really know much about the Bible to justify their spending time

or justifying their drinking of alcoholic beverages.

It's this passage right here and they want to pin it on Jesus

himself. But tonight, we're going to

learn that. That's not the case.

John to beginning with verse 1. The Bible says, on the third

day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee.

And the mother of Jesus was there now both Jesus and his

disciples were invited to the wedding and when they ran out of

wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine.

Jesus said, to her woman, what does your concern have to do

with me? My hour has not yet.

Come his mother said to the servants, whatever he says to

you do it now. There were set there, six

waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of

the Jews containing Twenty or Thirty gallons of Peace.

So, somewhere between 120 to 180 gallons and they filled them up

to the brim and he said to them, draw some out now and take it to

the master of the feast and they took it when the master of the

feast had tasted the water. That was made wine and did not

know where it came from, but the servants who had drawn the water

knew the master of the feast called the bridegroom and he

said to him every man at the beginning, inning sets out the

good wine and when the guests have well drunk, then the

inferior. You have kept the good wine

until now. This beginning of signs Jesus

did in Cana of Galilee and messed manifested his glory and

his disciples believed in him. The sport first recorded Miracle

of Jesus. Many beautiful thoughts could be

brought from this but we want to focus on the idea.

What kind of wine was this and does this passage and can this

passage be used to justify social and recreational

drinking? According to the US News and

World Report article alcohol costs, the United States 117

billion dollars a year in premature deaths, reduce

production and special Medical Treatments.

A Gallup poll showed that one in four American families or 61

million. People are plagued by alkylated

alcohol, related problems, like retarded children.

Depression, divorce domestic, violence crime, cygnus suicide

and murder. Some of us have experienced this

firsthand on both sides of my family on my mom's side and on

my dad's side, I've witnessed this.

The children of Alcoholics are drunkards one died in his 40s.

The other died in his early 50s. Both of them were divorced and

both of them left behind children.

Who were retarded either mentally or Physically.

In the United States. Marijuana cocaine heroin and so

on are illegal, but alcohol, which is legal kills. 50 times

more people than all illegal. Drugs combined alcohol, is the

number one killer of teenagers. Approximately 10,000 people

between the age of 16 and 24 are killed each year and

alcohol-related accidents. The life expectancy of every age

group in America has increased except one.

Our teenagers one and three High School seniors, one in four

sophomores. And one in ten, eighth graders

report having had five or more drinks in a row within the last

two weeks. The partnership for a drug-free.

America reports that over half of eighth graders and eighty

percent of high school seniors admit trying alcohol.

So the question comes, eventually in every household if

there's any kind of relationship between parents and children,

dad, Mom, can I have a drink? What will you answer when you

are faced with that? And those of you who are young,

people there's coming a time not very long if it hasn't come yet.

When you're going to be asked, and invited to come to a party

where there's going to be drinking taking place.

How will you respond? I was amazed to find that the

average age of the first taste of alcohol is 12 and that it's

not uncommon to find ten-year-old alcoholics.

Teenagers can become hardcore alcoholics in as little as three

to six months, according to the experts.

Social drinking recreational drinking does not pass the fruit

test and Matthew 7:15 through 21 where instructed to be fruit

Matthew 7:15–21

inspectors. We look at the fruit of Social

and recreational drinking, it's all bad.

None of it's good. Now, we're aware and I think the

nearly Universal agreement among those who would claim to be

Christians that alcoholism or really drunkenness is wrong that

it's sinful. The Bible teaches in First

1 Corinthians 6:9

Corinthians 6, verse 9, and 10 be not deceived and that's kind

of a warning. Whenever you see that that's

area where people Tim had a tendency to be deceived even in

the first century. And we have a tendency to

besiege be deceived to whatever you see.

That doesn't like an exclamation before what?

He's going to say 'be not deceived.

No drunkards. That's the Bible word for an

alcoholic shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Most Christians agree that getting drunk is sin.

But many suggest that drinking is.

Okay, as long as it's done in moderation.

Listen to this. This is from a teen Study Bible.

It's a roof, you'll article on partying.

And this is a quotation and this is one of the reasons why I'm

not real high on these study Bibles.

A lot of misguided Direction here.

This is a quote, it's Friday night and you're glad to get an

invite to a party. The problem is, you know, that

most people present will be sloshing beers, what do you do?

Drinking might feel cool, it might calm your social Jitters.

It might make you forget about life's most hideous problems,

but for now, drinking is illegal.

And drinking too much can and undo your life Ephesians. 5:18

Ephesians 5:18

says, do not be drunk with wine, which will ruin you.

Listen, folks, and young people the right answer is if you know

that there is going to be drinking going on at any party.

You just stay away, you avoid that at all cost.

That is not a place for Christians.

To be the Bible says in second Corinthians 2 verse 11, that we

2 Corinthians 2:11

are not ignorant of his devices. And one of the one of the most

effective devices that the devil has is luring young people, pure

and innocent wholesome, young people into this environment and

all kinds of evil and wicked things start happening in

Proverbs 6 verse 27, he has something else in mind but I

Proverbs 6:27

think an application can be made to this idea right here.

Proverbs 6 27 says, can a man take fire in his bosom and his

clothes not be burned. I like what the old time

preacher, JT Johnson wrote in the Christian messenger, this is

some 170 years ago, 1833, but I think it is still relevant and

applicable today. He says, moderation is

appropriate in many things, but not poison taking arsenic in.

Moderation, is a bad idea. And so is the poison of alcohol,

what are we talking about? When we talk about alcohol, what

is the fruit of alcohol? In Proverbs 23, beginning with

verse 29, not going to read the whole passage, but the Bible

there in dites, the drinking of alcohol and the result of that

alcoholic wine. Listen to what he says.

This is a result of that. Whoa sorrow contentions

complaints wounds without cause redness of eyes.

He says it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder,

It's like a, it's like a venomous snake.

You need to stay away from it. I think it's interesting.

Notice, is it poison? Is that the hall really poison?

Well, the word itself intoxicate.

You look at that and you don't have to be a genius to figure

out its poison, toxic. Anything toxic is poisonous, and

that's what happens when you drink.

You get Intoxicated by the alcohol, alcohol is a poison the

Birmingham News wrote. The Following scientific data

show. That alcohol is the most

physically deteriorating drug there is it causes more organic

damage than any other drug. Rug in the book.

None of their diseases doctors SI McMillan and David Stern.

Provide the DraStic consequences of alcohol talking about the

damage in the body nerve damage, brain damage, heart damage.

Damage done to The Unborn the list goes on and on and on

alcohol, plays a part in over 50% of murders.

That take place 57 percent of the rapes, 80 percent of

suicides and 47% of robberies alcohol.

And social drinking does not Pass the fruit test.

On top of that. 17,000 lives are lost every year because of drunk

driving. And then, of course, there's the

pain of children abused by drunken fathers and the

destruction of countless homes, don't pass the fruit test.

So when your son or your daughter asked you can I have a

drink? What are you going to say?

I hope tonight. As we continue in this study,

you will become competent and resolve and you will develop.

If you don't have them already firm convictions, son, you just

stay away from it. You leave it alone daughter,

never even take the first drink. That's the only guaranteed cure

not to become an alcoholic or a drunkard.

One of the very common misunderstandings today is what

when you see the word wine in the Bible, It's gotta mean

alcohol, right? And there we have right there in

John to the first miracle that Jesus performs.

We've got him turned water into wine, big part of they've

already had a lot to drink and he's making 120 180 more gallons

of wine. what you trying to say that we should stay away from

alcohol for what's up with all that?

Well, the fundamental misunderstanding has to do with

the meaning of wine. People say, well, when you see

the word wine, automatically means alcohol.

Well, does it, does it really now today in 2006, when we see

the word wine and the newspaper or anywhere else we heard of the

word, that's how it's used and it has that meaning in the

modern dictionaries, but it hasn't always been that way.

In fact, it's not been very long at all since that meeting has

changed. 100 years ago. Let's listen to some of these

encyclopedias and dictionaries. This is Funk and wagnalls new

standard dictionary, 1955. Defining wine.

The fermented juice of the grape in loose language.

The juice of the grape, whether fermented or not that's just 50

years ago in 1971, new Webster's encyclopedic Dictionary of the

English language defines must as a type of wine or juice, press

from The Grapes but not for a minute.

In 1896 Webster's International defines wine, the express juice

of grapes, that's great. Use.

Especially, it says, when fermented a beverage prepared

from grapes by squeezing out their juice, and usually

allowing it to ferment. So, not even at all times.

Even in 30 years ago, 50 years, 100 years ago, was wine always

referring to grape juice in 1828 Webster's defines must as new

wine or wine, press from the great.

But not fermented. This type of wine was absolutely

not fermented 1715. Nine, Nathan, Bailey's new

Universal English dictionary. Wine Liquor made of the juice of

grapes liquor, anything liquid drink juice, Etc.

Must sweet wine. Newly pressed from the grape

when you press the grape and liquid.

That comes out. That's never wine.

That's always grape juice if it's rotten, it goes beyond that

stage and becomes vinegar. It's putrid. 1748 Benjamin

Marin's a new English dictionary defines wine.

The first definition then is the juice of the grape.

Second definition of liquor extracted, from other fruits

beside the grape the vapors of wine as wine.

Disturbs reason, this is interesting.

This is William Winston's translation of Josephus book.

The Antiquity of the Jews from 1737 referring to Joseph's

interpretation of the cupbearers dream Josephus writes vow

saying, That thou did Squeeze this one from three clusters of

grapes with thine hands. He's talking about what we know

of today is just regular ordinary grape juice.

Well, that's the English word. When you go to the Latin word,

we find the same thing. And this is a Latin, lexicon

published in 1740 defines two different types of wine.

Sweet wine, and boiled wine as unfermented grape juice.

It goes on to say that even the very grapes are called why Find

plenty who lived was a contemporary of the Apostle.

Paul wrote for all the sick, wine is most useful when its

forces have been broken by the strainer.

And what he's referring to is one of the one of four ways in

which the Jews was treated. So it would not could not

permit, he speaks of this kind of wine as a must, which flows

spontaneously from The Grapes Horace, who lived back in the

ancient times and the time Times which the Bible was written says

of some wine. You can drink 100 glasses

without the fear of intoxication.

This is not alcoholic wine. This is not fermented wine.

This is not what we ordinarily, think of as one, but that's how

they spoke of and Aristotle living in the fourth Century BC,

refers to a sweet, grape juice beverage that though called wine

has not the effect of wine for. It does not taste like wine and

does not intoxicate like ordinary wind.

I'm not crazy about going and just reading from things from

history, but folks, there's a lot of confusion today and when

you leave tonight, you need to know that the word wine does not

automatically mean fermented alcoholic.

Wine at the Nene at Phineas of the grammarian who lived at 200

ad recommends, non-alcoholic wine grape juice for stomach

trouble. This is a quote, let him take

sweet wine mixed with water or warm especially that call that

called proposed as being good. For the stomach for sweetened

wine. Does not make the head.

Heavy doesn't intoxicate. Because it's not alcoholic.

And then the the Hebrew word that's translated, wine.

The Jewish encyclopedia rights fresh wine before.

Fermenting is called wine of the vat and they give a Hebrew name

for that. And the encyclopedia Judaica and

the American Jewish yearbook you find a center of the same thing

and what is that that when you see the word wine as it was

used, historically, it does not always refer.

Alcoholic wine. And how do you figure out in the

Bible? Whether a word is being used?

When it's used the word, wine is used, whether it's talking about

alcohol or not. Well, you have to look at the

context and we're going to look at that in just a moment.

But one of the things I want to clear up to is the idea that

wine, again, always means fermented alcoholic wine.

What, what some people say is? Well, back in Bible times, you

see the grace were only in season for a little while and

then they can have grape juice and maybe that's what maybe

you're right on what you're saying about that.

But then when it's out of season, all would be available

would be fermented wine. Well, that that sounds real good

at when you first hear it, but that simply does not go along

with the facts. As a matter of fact in the first

century and even before the people of that time, the Greeks

had perfected for different ways, in which they could

preserve grape juice in such a way, that it would not ferment.

There was the boy Boiling method, and once you get above

170 degrees, all the alcohol, and the alcohol agents are

evaporated. At 212 degrees that was one

method, the filtering method Plutarch speaks of this method

where they separate the gluten and the yeast from the juice.

And when that's removed, you can't, you cannot produce,

alcohol, alcoholic wine, and then the subsidence method, and

what they did then is they get it down to a certain temperature

below 45 degrees and then all the gluten settles to the body,

the bottom, they take that out and it's impossible to produce

alcoholic wine. And then Ian where they added

Sulphur agents and this eliminated, the fermenting power

of the yeast. So they went to Great trouble.

Back in that day to make sure that the that the wine, the

non-alcoholic wine grape juice would not firm it.

So from these historians and from these different methods, we

can already see that non-alcoholic wine was used and

referred to it and referred to as wind and they went to great.

Preserve it in that way. Well, let's go.

This is what we like to do and we like to go to the Bible.

Let's go to the Old Testament first and let's see what the Old

Testament has to say. How do we, how do we how can we

be sure that we're talking about non-alcoholic wine and some of

these instances? Well every time you see wine

spoken of in a very positive way, can't be it can't be

referring to the fermented wine because when find sometimes one

is spoken of as being the worst possible, Beverage and sometimes

spoken of as a blessing in Genesis, 27, verse 28, wine is

Genesis 27:28

referred to as a token or a sign of material prosperity in Joel

Joel 2:18

2, Verse 18 and 19. It's used with reference to the

blessing of the Messianic age or the coming of the Messiah.

Spoken of an Isaiah 55 verse 1 in reference, to the offer of

Isaiah 55:1

God's Saving Grace on. And on the scripture references,

go in a very positive way. Not referring to alcohol.

Equine, must be non-alcoholic grape juice.

Perhaps, the clearest scripture is Isaiah 65 verse 8.

Isaiah 65:8

Here, the Bible says, thus says, the Lord as the new wine is

found in the cluster in the grapes, the cluster of grapes

and one says, do not destroy it for a blessing is in it.

The new wine is found in the cluster.

You can't get fermented wine from the cluster talking about

what we refer to as grape juice or the fruit of the fruit of the

vine. Now, as you're listening

tonight, some of you already have conviction about these

their firm. Don't don't just get so

comfortable and just say, well, I already got This.

I hope you're listening and I hope your your jotting down at

least mentally some of the points.

So when these this question comes up, you can give an answer

to everyone. Who asks you a reason of the

hope that's in you but on the other hand, we've got these

positive scriptures but then we've got as you've already

noticed in Proverbs chapter, 23 and 29.

Wine spoken of as a as a curse as a blight whoa sorrow.

Contentions complaint wounds without cause redness of eyes

bites. Like a serpent stings like an

adder. That's the same thing as that

was. Just a blessing and it's spoken

of in. So many positive ways can't be

Proverbs. 23 verse 31 says, don't even look at it.

Proverbs 23:31

Don't even look at this kind of wine.

Do not look on wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the

cup. When it swirls around smoothly,

he's not talking about grape juice already warned about

looking at grape juice but there's a kind of wine.

It'll get you will destroy. You Proverbs 20 verse 1 says

Proverbs 20:1

wine is a mocker, strong. Drink is Raging and whoever is

deceived. Thereby is not wise over and

over again. The Bible teaches that God's

people are supposed to be wise, why is it serpents and harmless

as doves and you get just the opposite.

When you start meddling in just a littlest bit with alcohol with

fermented wine. Somebody says, Now, just a

little bit, it's not going to hurt anybody, but part of the

whole problem with alcohol is who knows how little to drink.

Who knows when it drunk too much experts say, people don't know.

Some people say, well that purse process begins after just a

drink or two some others. Well it depends on how much food

is eaten, the body weight and so on there's a lot of factors but

I like what the was found in the 1985 Reader's Digest, Seagram's,

which is an alcohol company. Put this in one of their

articles, the safe room. For yourselves and others is

none for the road, not just to stay below a certain level of

alcohol and drinking but none. And the idea that I get from

that is if even a little can impair the Judgment of one

driving an automobile would it not Also?

Spiritually imperiled, the Christian trying to walk the

straight and narrow and I think for those of us the younger, we

are the more exposed. We are the more vulnerable.

We are to the devil and his Temptations.

And what we do when we start. Drinking we just become more and

more vulnerable. Alcohol is a habit forming

narcotic that weakens one self-control.

We've already talked about how important self-control is.

You start drinking just a little bit and that becomes inhibited.

So what happens if you take a little bit and then you're then

you're not able to understand and see as clearly as before.

Well little bit more. I'm okay a little bit more then.

Before you know it everybody can tell that you're drunk.

And you've gone way past what the Bible as Todd habakkuk to

verse 15. Again, another old Passage woe

unto him. That gives his neighbor drink

and puts his bottle to him and makes him drunk.

Also Genesis 923 sad story after Noah had survived the flood.

We read about him in Genesis 9 20 then he drank of the wine and

was drunk and became uncovered in his tent.

This man who had stood up and done so well and done.

So right now is humiliated in shame because of what drinking

in Genesis 19 32 and 33 after leaving, Sodom and Gomorrah.

Finally lot commits incest with his daughters.

Would lot of ever done that sober, of course not the

daughter said come let us make our father drink wine and we

will lie with him that we may preserve the lineage of our

father. So lots children ended up being

his grandchildren as well. Leviticus chapter 10 verse 9

Leviticus 10:9–11

through 11, incidentally, all of us as Christians.

Has our priest first, Peter 2 verse 5 and 9, aren't we?

We're priest all of us in under the New Covenant.

The Bible says, in Leviticus 10 verse 9, through 11 to the

Leviticus 10:9

priest, do not drink wine, nor strong drink that.

You may put a difference between the holy and the Unholy, the

unclean and the clean, and that you may teach the children of

Israel, all the statutes, which the Lord has spoken, Clearly,

the message of the Old Testament is there are two kinds of wine.

One fermented alcoholic. And it's a Bligh, it's a curse.

It's a shame and God's people shouldn't even look at it.

And the other kind of wine is a blessing and it speaks of the

material prosperity in the blessings that we would have in

Christ. Let's look at the New Testament

for just a little while, and we'll find the New Testament

confirms and I believe human strengthens.

Well, we've already noticed from the Old Testament as far As

prohibiting, the drinking of wine, socially, or

recreationally in Revelation chapter 17 verse 2 and 18.

Revelation 17:2

Verse 3, the angel said to the mother of harlots for all the

nations were made drunk with the wine of her fornication context,

will help us determine wanted whether that's grape juice or

alcoholic. Wine Ephesians. 5:18, and do not

Ephesians 5:18

be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with

the spirit. What's he talking about?

He's talking about alcoholic wine.

Leave it alone in first Thessalonians 5 and 7 as well as

Ephesians 5 Verse 18. The word here that's translated.

Ephesians 5:18

Drunk Vine. Who's an expert on the Greek

language defines this way to make drunk or to grow drunk.

Don't miss this. Don't don't miss this to become

drunk and it's inceptive verb marking the process or the

state. Expressed to become intoxicated.

So when he's talking about about drunkenness and becoming drunk,

it's not just one spot here, okay, you've drunk and drink,

this may drinks, and you're okay, then you get over here,

then all of a sudden, you're drunk.

What he's saying is that the process of drinking is referred

to. That the drunkenness is a

process. It's an ongoing process.

It's not just at a certain point or at a certain level of alcohol

when you're drunk according to this word, in the original.

Romans 12 verse 9 says, abhor that which is evil cleave to

Romans 12:9

that, which is good abstain from all appearance, every form of

evil 1st Thessalonians, 5:22, some people say that a small

amount of alcohol, really doesn't affect them.

Doesn't influence them. They understand it.

Some people have problems when they start drinking, but it

doesn't really bother them, but a couple of This who are

drinkers themselves Neil Kessel and Henry Walton say to the

contrary and their book alcoholism they report that even

in small amounts alcohol affects speech and it affects one's

balance and it impairs judgment and that's the problem, that's

the problem. It impairs judgment.

We've got to have the power to decide between right and wrong.

We have enough trouble with temptation as it comes our way

when we have our full faculties. Yes, but when we begin to have

those relaxed and our power of restraint is lessened than

Temptation, we give in to Temptation much more readily and

our responsibility as Christians as to stand and withstand and

overcome Temptation. Let's go back to John 20 verse

John 20:1

1, through 11 was Jesus making intoxicating wine.

But he make alcoholic wine for them to have a number of

questions for us to think about to just logically reason

through. One of the things that sometimes

people say as well, you know, he saved the best of the last so

that meant it had to be alcoholic.

The question about the best being last.

Well certainly, that would mean that the alcohol that Jesus made

was alcoholic. That's why there was such a

surprise. Well, no matter what it was, if

you had a lot of soda and some of it had already lost, its

Fizz, its carbonation, which would you use first?

Well, you would automatically think you've used the best first

and you wouldn't save the best to last, whatever type of drink.

It is, you would use it first in case you didn't have to get to

the less, the lower quality, that certainly is not an

argument. Would Jesus do something that

might cause him to lose control of his mind?

His his his control of doing right and wrong or would he help

others do that by turning the water into wine.

Romans, 6, 13. Paul writes, neither yield, ye

your members as instruments of unrighteousness under sin, but

yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the

dead and your members, as instruments of righteousness,

unto God, intoxicating wine. Intoxicates, it poisons.

It's a depressant drug with Jesus.

Put that as a stumbling block before others, everyone agrees.

That there are some people that if they start drinking, they

will become alcoholics or drunkards.

Can you picture Jesus doing this?

Can you see him handing out? A bag of cocaine to people to

part of course not? Well, why would he do?

What would it be handing out and giving alcohol?

120 to 180 gallons to people who have already been drinking.

A lot of this dream. Neither give place to the devil.

A fission is 427. I like I like the illustration

one man. Presented he says, suppose that

that you were approached by a man who was offering you a drink

of cider. And in addition to that you knew

that this man was a very Godly holy righteous man.

He was a man who was regularly attending worship and you'll

constant and praying and and Reading the Bible, reaching out

to the lost. You knew he was this kind of

man, and he offered you a drink of his cider.

What kind of drink would it be? Would it be apple juice?

Or alcohol, you know, it would be, you would know.

So why would we say that Jesus, when we know that wine can be

fermented or unfermented? Why would we assume that that

wine was alcoholic? I don't think we can.

I don't think anyone and anyone using their reasoning Powers

would do. So.

Another Point. Some say, it must have been

intoxicating wine. Because in, I think it's about

verse 9. It says, well, drunk, when they

had well drunk. It's interesting to look, I

looked at translations on this and dozens of translations

render it as having a lot to drink, and synonyms of that.

The same word is used in the Greek Old Testament, translated

nation, and Psalm 36 verse 8 is abundantly satisfied.

Psalms 36:8

Abundantly having a lot drunk. It's full Phil, Jesus made wine,

but it didn't make alcoholic wine.

Well, the last thing we want to talk about, and to me, this is

the strongest, I think there's a number of strong points to

notice, but I think this is the key that if you haven't been

convicted yet and you haven't been convinced yet, this is the

clearest area in which you can be convicted in First, Peter 5

verse 8. Of course, you're familiar with

the scripture be sober. Be vigilant because your

adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom

he may devour that word sober. There is also used in another

passage first Thessalonians 5 Verse 6.

1 Thessalonians 5:6

Through 8, if you have a Bible please turn their we're going to

look at that. I'm going to break down

something and show conclusively that that you absolutely cannot

separate alcohol and the abstaining from alcohol from

this passage first Thessalonians 5, beginning with verse 6,

Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and

be sober for those who sleep at night and those who get drunk

are drunk at night but let us who are of the day, be sober.

You can't take the discussion of alcohol out of this passage.

Look at the passage and watch something that Paul's doing

here. He talks about those of the day

and he contrast that with those of the night, what do they day

and night? Total opposites?

Total complete opposites then those who watch or who are awake

and alert are contrasted with those who sleep total opposites.

And then he contrast those who are sober with those who were

drunk They're total opposites, they mean exactly the opposite

thing. Let's see if you get this, it

looks like, Paul is saying the day is the opposite of night or

this is obvious as you read. It watching is the opposite of

sleeping Being Sober is the opposite of being drunk where to

be of the day we're to be watching and we're to be sober.

So what's it mean to be sober, doesn't mean anything less than

falling down? Fall down, drunk, dog, drunk.

If you're anything less than that.

You're okay. Is it just some point along?

This Continuum here, as long as you stay, just be below this

certain point, then you're okay. Look at listen to all of these

Scholars and their testimony Barn, filled in the theological

dictionary of the New Testament. Defines this word that's

translated sober here in 1st Thessalonians. 5 defines it.

The opposite of intoxication folks.

What's the opposite of intoxication?

It's none, no drinking zero alcohol in the system, Jewish

philosopher, Philo and 8040 says soberness and drunkenness are

opposites using that same word. So we're to be sober then we're

to stay as far away from drunkenness as we can get.

And what does that do? That harmonizes what we saw in

the Old Testament, don't even look at it.

Liddell and Scott and their lexicon.

The first definition of this word, sober means to drink no

wine. Vine defines it free from the

influence of intoxicants not moderation, leave it alone.

Lamp in his legs can be tricky temperate drink no wine.

Donegan live a stemi ously or abstain from wine.

Know why Robinson to be sober temperate abstinent especially

in respect to Wine Abaddon Smith to be sober to abstain from

wine. The word sober means not

moderation. Don't get drunk.

Just be sure you can walk in a straight line.

It means leave it alone. Leave it completely alone.

Don't ever touch it. Well, I hope our studies been

helpful for you tonight. I hope you've decided.

Mom and Dad when your son or daughter comes to you and asks

uncertain about this question, is it?

Alright to drink just a little bit.

I hope you're convicted and telling them son daughter.

Don't even touch it. It's wrong to take even a little

bit socially or recreationally. I think the scriptures are

clear. I hope we're clear tonight.

If you're a young person, it's not going to be very long.

Even maybe at 10 11 and 12, when somebody's asked you to take

that first, drink be like many Christians who've lived before

you who said, when they were off of that first to drink, no,

thanks. Never touch it.

Don't even take the first drink. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

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