Is Alcohol Sinful (Part 1)

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ. Based on the theme in Galatians 2 verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, but we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Why Alcohol Is a Controversial Subject

Welcome to No Compromise Radio ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth, and today I'd like to talk about a controversial subject, a subject that I think maybe is more controversial than I want it to be, and I think I'll probably get everybody's attention when I want to talk to you about alcohol.

What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol? And I think my main preface point is going to be this. We might be more influenced by our culture than we realize, and that could be on the licentious side or on the legalistic side.

And I will say right off from the very get-go, when it comes to alcohol on No Compromise Radio, I think I've spoke about the topic before somewhat, maybe back in 2009 when the show first started, Steve and I were talking about some legalisms in the church.

I will say this. I am now 50, almost 51, a couple months I'll be 51. The show right now is 2011, April. And I quit drinking alcohol December 17th, 1989. So that was the last drink of alcohol I had. I mean, I've had communion wine before.

I had a communion service overseas. It was only wine, so I would have that. I've had NyQuil. I've had, at my friend's place down in Mississippi, some hooch. I'm just kidding. Now, just so medicinal or communion aside, I haven't had any alcohol.

I haven't had a beer. I haven't had a screwdriver or slow gin fizz or a glass of wine or anything like that. So I stopped drinking. I stopped winking in 1989. So what is that, 21 coming up on 22 years?

And I quit drinking for lots of reasons, but I couldn't really handle myself and I was into cocaine and marijuana and alcohol. And after I got saved, I just thought, you know what? I don't need to drink anymore.

And so I've saved a lot of money, saved a lot of brain cells, probably saved some fat cells as well. And so what I'm going to do in this show, and probably the next, who knows how long I'll talk about these subjects, 24 minutes goes by quickly.

I want to talk to you, not in such a way that as I'm walking through this, you're going to say it's all for his own purposes. He's trying to create some scenario so that he feels good about his drinking.

That is not what I'm trying to do because I have no horse in the race. My horse in the race is God's greatness and what the scriptures teach us. What does God say about alcohol? And if the Bible says all the time you drink alcohol is a sin, well, then I'm going to call it a sin.

If it says sometimes it's a sin, I'll say sometimes it's a sin. It's never a sin. Then I'm going to say it's never a sin. My point here is that I would be biblical. And so I want a biblical position on alcohol.

And I have to say this too, and I'm not compromising when I say it. I know people on both sides of the issue. Can Christians drink? Yes is one side. Can Christians drink? No is the other. There's not like a lot of mediating positions.

Yes or no, and I know there are good Christians on both sides. It almost sounds kind of compromising to say that or sounds kind of flaky to say that. Well, I know good people on both sides. I really do and I have a lot of respect for them.

And so I'm not trying to attack their ministries and attack them and say I don't like them and they can't teach me. It has nothing to do with that at all. This is No Compromise Radio. My name is Mike Avendroth and I have to give an account for what I teach and what I believe.

And therefore, let's work today through what the Bible says about alcohol and drinking alcohol. Maybe we can call this vino-ology. I know in vino veritas, but maybe vino wine-ology, drinking alcohol.

I have several things that I'd like to talk about when it comes to this subject. So you, the listener today, can think biblically. And before you start telling me all this stuff about AA and one drink away and everything else, I just want you to listen.

Drunkenness Is Always a Sin

And I think so far, everybody's going to believe the first point, at least. Number one, drunkenness is always a sin. Both sides have to agree that drunkenness is always a sin. Those who allow Christian drinking, those who don't believe in Christians, Christians should have any alcohol.

They both believe this. So let's start off on common ground. Proverbs 20, verse one. Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. Drunkenness, 1 Corinthians chapter six.

Drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God. And Paul said to the church of Corinth, such were some of you, but you've been sanctified. You've been washed. You've been justified. You've been forgiven, is what he says.

You've been given Christ's righteousness. Christ never fell to the temptation of drinking to drunkenness. And so here we both would say, both sides of the evangelical divide, that drunkenness is always a sin.

Drunkenness, in 1 Corinthians six, is a word of characterization. Drunkenness characterizes this person's life. Fornication characterizes this person's life. Homosexuality characterizes this person's life.

And those people that practice that, not who've, you know, do I believe Christians can get drunk and repent from it? Sure. When I'm talking about the practice, the lifestyle shows that you are an unrighteous person living in the state of unrighteousness.

That's the point of 1 Corinthians chapter six. My big point is, it's a sin to get drunk. It's always a sin to get drunk. It's never not a sin to get drunk. Drunkenness is not a disease. Alcoholism, like people like to call it, isn't some kind of allergy like they teach in AA.

You are not a victim in drunkenness. You are active. You're not passive. You are the one making yourself drunk. Now, of course, the ensnaring nature of sin begins to wrap its tentacles around you and you become addicted and you want it and you crave it.

And there are certain psychological and physiological effects to then not drinking. And so the slavery that comes along with sin certainly affects, but it does not get you off the hook. You make yourself drink.

Nobody's forcing you to drink. And your compulsive, regular, addictive, damaging, transgressing, over-drinking in the past has gotten you where you are today. Drunkenness is always a sin. I find it interesting in Proverbs 23, verse 29, who has woe, who has sorrow, who has contentions, who has complaining, who has wounds without cause?

What kind of person has a lot of woe, has a lot of sorrow, has a lot of contention, has a lot of complaining and has all beat up and they don't even know why? Who has redness of eyes? It's interesting.

There's one answer to these six questions. Proverbs 23, 30, those who linger long over wine, those who go to taste mixed wine. The people that like it to drink a lot. And if you linger over it, it doesn't mean you're standing there.

I mean, I could linger over wine and not have anything happen to me because I don't drink wine. But linger over here means you're lingering over it a long time because you're drinking it. And it says those who taste mixed wine, some kind of wine that has spices mixed in and maybe some other drugs in there.

People who, you know, they get their PhDs in drinking wine and it's this big connoisseur kind of thing in school of wine, drinking too much. And again, tasting fine. You could be a connoisseur of great wines and not be a drunkard, but this is pushing it over, according to Proverbs chapter 23, into the drunken side.

Proverbs 23, 31, do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. At last it bites like a serpent and stings like a bee. Oh, sorry, that's mine that I'll eat.

It stings like a viper. It's got some poison. It's kind of black mamba. There's going to be a payday to this. Your eyes will see strange things. Your mind will utter perverse things. Isn't that interesting?

That's what the drunken person does. And you will be like the one who lies down in the middle of the sea or the one who lies down on the top of a mast. They struck me, but I did not become ill. They beat me, but I did not know it.

When shall I awake? When shall I awake? I will seek another drink. That was me before I was saved. And blackouts, where's my wallet? Where are my keys? I have no idea. Hangovers, drinking in the morning, Bloody Marys to kind of get rid of the hair of the dog.

The Bible says in Isaiah 5, 11, woe to those who rise up early in the morning. And so see, it's a sin. For those of you who like to get up at four or five in the morning, that's a sin to do. Woe to those who rise early in the morning.

Oh, sorry, I forgot to read the rest of the verse. That they may pursue strong drink. The sin isn't getting up early, of course. That's just a joke. The sin is getting up early to drink. Who stay up late in the evening that the wine may inflame them.

Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine. I knew people like that. I wanted to be one when I was in high school and college and out of college. Who can hold the most liquor? Like that's somehow applaudable, commendable.

That we should celebrate that. No, the Bible says when you drink to excess and you are drunk, it is a sin and is always a sin. Isaiah 56, come, they say, let us get wine and let us drink heavily of strong drink.

And tomorrow will be like today, only more so. Can you imagine that? Today's gonna be like yesterday, except we're gonna turn it up today when it comes to this. And sadly, this sin has some bad consequences.

Maybe it's, I mean, I guess it's not sad because it's the goodness of God that sin has consequences. So they're like speed bumps to slow us down. But when you get drunk, I'm not talking about drinking alcohol now.

I'm talking about getting drunk. We're starting off there on No Compromise Radio here today on alcohol. So before you send me all your letters and your emails, just listen to the rest of the series. I think you'll find it biblical and balanced.

If you drink to get drunk, the Bible says that you are going to have a slow thinking process. Basically, it's going to be stupor kind of thinking. You are going to get sick. I mean, this is basically the life of the drunk.

There's sickness, might I say throwing up and vomiting, staggering, there are verses for all these, arrogance, forgetfulness, confusion, sleepiness. Drunkards have consequences. And by the way, I think this is important to talk about today because for two reasons.

One, there are many, many drunks and society is replete with those who abuse alcohol. Alcohol, quote unquote, dependency is rising dramatically. Just watch the beer commercials, watch the floor space now that are in, at least in California, supermarkets in Massachusetts, you have to actually go to the packy, to the liquor store, the packaged liquor store.

And we should talk about this because lots of people drink. And I think we should also talk about it because in evangelicalism with the Southern Baptist and others, there's a divide. Can a Christian ever drink?

And so I want to work through those issues today because I think it makes interesting radio and it's my show. If you get drunk, there's going to be tragedies. Just read about Noah and him getting drunk.

What happened after he got off the ark? Read what happened with Lot and his daughters. Drunkenness, there are all kinds of effects for drunkards in terms of consequences. I do find this interesting from Mosaic Law to Israel, Deuteronomy 21, and they shall say to the elders of the city, this son of ours is stubborn and rebellious.

He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard. Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death so you shall remove the evil from your midst and all Israel shall hear of it and fear. Now, I'm not saying we're theonomist and we should do that today.

I am saying that for Israel, that's what God required in his Bible, in his word in Deuteronomy 21. In other words, drunkenness is bad. It's heinous. It's influencing society. It influences the nation and it is not good.

Drunkenness is always bad. Evangeline Corey, boom, said this, that drunkenness has drained more blood, sold more houses, plunged more people into bankruptcy, armed more villains, slain more children, snapped more wedding rings, defiled more innocence, blinded more eyes, twisted more limbs, dethroned more reason, wrecked more manhood, dishonored more womanhood, broken more hearts, blasted more lives, driven more to suicide, and dug more graves than any other poison scourge that ever swept its death-dealing waves across the world.

I think that's true. And see what the sinful heart does with alcohol. And again, you're going to find out very quickly that I'm not going to be against drinking alcohol, that I'm not going to be legalistic about it, that I'm not going to say this is all so that you never touch a drop.

One thing I do know is if you never touch a drop, you'll never get drunk, but that's not the best argument. That's not the only argument. And so again, right now, we're going to go to step one, that all drunkenness is a sin.

And I think both sides can agree on that. Can't we? Can't we just all get along? Mike Ebenroth, No Compromise Radio. What about alcohol? I don't mean rubbing alcohol, although people used to drink that.

That's why they had to put the stuff in there so they don't do it. Although now I hear people drink a lot of mouthwash. And so they have to move mouthwash in the grocery stores and the drug stores so people can't get to them because then they'll get them or steal them and it's only a few bucks instead of 30 bucks.

Alcohol as a Gift from God, Not Evil in Itself

Point number two, when we think about alcohol. Now, we shouldn't have any disagreement here between the two evangelical camps, but we probably do. But this is what I believe. Alcohol is not evil in and of itself.

Guns don't kill people and sex isn't the problem. So they all are around the same thing. And that is what the human heart does with something. That is the problem. That's the only problem. Alcohol isn't evil, it's neutral.

It's something that if you smash up some grapes back in the old days, you get alcohol. It's not evil in and of itself. Guns don't kill people. I have guns, they don't kill people. Why? Because they're my guns and I don't kill people.

Now, my guns just hop up in the middle of the night and they hop out of their safe and they hop on down to another place and they shoot somebody. Then I guess guns do kill people, but my guns don't kill people.

And so similarly, alcohol isn't the problem. It's what a human heart does with it. And if you say, well, you know, alcohol causes all kinds of problems, therefore we have to remove alcohol. Therefore we have to forbid alcohol.

Too much trouble can happen with alcohol. I don't think that's the best argument because sex causes a lot of problems. It causes heartache. It causes venereal disease. It causes teen pregnancy. It causes all kinds of doctor bills.

It is used an excuse by people to go ahead and kill the baby. There's all kinds of problems that come from sex. But see, that's not the right way to say it. There are all kinds of problems that come with the human heart when it deals with this God-given thing called sex.

So you say, well, how is alcohol God-given? Well, I think we're gonna figure that out pretty soon. We're gonna figure out that, did Jesus drink wine? But I'm getting ahead of myself. Look what a wicked heart does when it comes to alcohol.

Isaiah 28, and these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are confused by wine. They stagger from strong drink. They reel while having visions.

They totter when rendering judgment for all the tables are full of filthy vomit without a single clean place. The wicked heart of the priest, the nasty heart of the prophet have some alcohol. And what does it do?

It inflames the wicked heart. You have to remember while you're listening today that alcohol isn't evil in and of itself. Alcohol is not evil. Actually, if you look at the text, that alcohol can be seen in the Bible as a gift from God, a blessing from the Lord.

Now, I don't wanna call something that God says that's a blessing. I don't wanna call it evil. I don't think you want to as well. Now, people on both sides of the aisle would have to agree with these verses.

Now, they might order them and translate them. No, they wouldn't translate them differently, but they might order them differently or interpret them differently with their systematic theology of alcohol.

But I do wanna read the verses. Joel 2, and the Lord will answer and say to his people, behold, I'm going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you'll be satisfied and full with them, and I will never again make your approach among nations.

Deuteronomy 7, and he will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and your young of your flock in the land which he swore to your forefathers to give you.

These things God gives bountifully, richly, and there's nothing evil about wine because why would God give them something if there's something evil associated with wine? Was there anything evil about this verse, Genesis 14, 18?

And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. Now he was a priest of the God most high. No, there's nothing wrong about that. Nehemiah 2, 1, regarding the king drinking wine. Nehemiah was required to taste it first to make sure it was not poison.

There's nothing wrong with that. How about Job 1, 13? Now it happened on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house. What happened? God ordained that Satan would wipe them all out.

And you mean to tell me you're gonna think that somehow, I can just hear somebody say, we'll see they got wiped out because they were drinking wine. No, it just says they're eating and drinking wine. They're just doing daily things.

And then look what happened. How about Daniel 10? I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. And so after my time of fasting, I then had a time of refreshment and blessing and I partook of things and I partook of meat and wine.

So I fasted from wine for three weeks. Then what's the implication? Then I had wine. I had wine before because a fast of wine in the middle of your life, early on in your life, later in your life, whatever day you are, you have to fast from wine.

You have to have already had wine. So I don't want to say that something is innately wrong when it's A, just a thing. It's just a thing. And so when you're working through this issue, always remember, number one, drunkenness is a sin.

Number two, it's what the human heart does with things. I do not want to say something negative about alcohol per se because the Bible doesn't, Deuteronomy 14. And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires.

To Israel, what do you want? Ox and sheep or wine or strong drink or whatever your heart desires. And there you shall eat in the presence of the Lord, your God, and rejoice, you and your household. You want to buy something that makes your heart feel good, that your heart desires?

God said to Israel, here's the money. Spend it on wine if you want. Spend it on strong drink. Psalm 104, 14. God causes the grass to grow for the cattle and the vegetation for the labor of the man so that he may bring forth food from the earth.

Verse 15 of Psalm 104. And wine which makes a man's heart glad so it may make his face glisten with oil and food which sustains man's heart. Isaiah 25, six. And the Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on the mountain.

A banquet of... Now, what do you think God's going to do? Here's this language in Isaiah 25. And if you'd like it to be literal language, our spiritual language, our figure of language, depending on your eschatological views, that's not my point at the moment.

Just listen to the language of scripture. We're a no-compromise radio and we're talking about alcohol today. Is alcohol by default a thing in and of itself bad or is it what the human heart does with it?

And I think it's the second one. Listen to how God prepares a banquet in Isaiah 25. A lavish banquet. I know you already know what's going to be on the list. For all peoples on this mountain, a banquet of what?

Aged wine. Oh yes, new wine. When God makes new wine, that means it's not fermented yet. Well, it's going to ferment if it's new wine. Welch's wasn't around yet and neither was pasteurization. But how about this verse for all those that want to somehow wiggle out of this issue and this problem, thinking that if you just talk about new wine, you're scot-free.

A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces and marrow, and refined aged wine. Here's what I'm saying on No Compromise Radio. Why don't you just think about alcohol biblically? If you get drunk and you're tempted to get drunk, if you just have one or two drinks or something like that, one drink, then you need to run.

You need to stop it. If you're a drunkard, you need to repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the God-man who died on behalf of drunkards like you when he was raised from the dead. Drunkenness is always a sin.

And if you think I'm promoting people to go out and buy a bunch of alcohol and get drunk, I'm not. I'm not even promoting people to go out and buy a bunch of alcohol. I'm not. I'm simply saying that we are affected by our culture and when we come out of a legalistic background, we tend to do the opposite.

If we come out of a licentious background, we tend to do the opposite. And what I'm going for today is biblical thinking. Drunkenness is always a sin and alcohol is not always wrong. In and of itself, it's not bad.

Actually, God gives alcohol sometimes to Israel and he says, you know, in a positive use, you know what? Let people who are perishing have strong drink and wine to those whose life is bitter. That's Proverbs 31 .6.

Kings, it's not fit for you to drink wine or rulers to desire strong drink. My name's Mike Abendroth, No Compromise Radio. Alcohol part two next week.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life transforming power of God's word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at six. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

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