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Welcome back to our series on Hot Topics!
Todays Message: Christians and Alcohol

There are so many things that christians divide over. My goal today is not to divide the church but to unite the church around what the bible says and how we can live in love and fellowship with one another regardless of your personal stance on alcohol.

The Bible really has quite a bit to say about alcohol. The word wine appears 232 times in the Bible. The phrase fermented drink, in reference to more powerful alcoholic beverages, is mentioned around 20 times.

For the ancient Israelites, possessing lots of wine and new wine was a sign of God’s blessing.

These verses and others clearly state having wine is a sign of God’s blessing and is meant to be enjoyed.
So yes consuming alcohol in the old testament was a part of the israelites normal life.

Was the wine Alcoholic ??? Yes, there is no reason that it would not be especially because there's warning of drunkenness in the old testament and you can't get drunk off of non alcoholic wine.

Were there people in the Old Testament who did not drink wine or beer? Yes. When the priests were on duty at the sanctuary, they were to abstain (Lev. 10:9). Men and women who took the Nazarite vow – or women who were pregnant with future Nazarites (like Samson) – were not to consume any grape product during the time of their vow, but they did drink wine afterward (Num. 6:3, 20). It was the ancestral tradition of one clan of Israelites called the Rechabites not to drink wine (Jeremiah 35). And while Daniel was mourning for three weeks, he also abstained (Dan. 10:2).

At the same time there are many scriptures that warn and speak negatively about alcohol. And its consequences.

Theres MANY more in the old testament that warn of the destruction alcohol can bring.

Stories of Noah, Lot and David and Uriah.

The new testament -

Jesus Himself was not opposed to drinking wine, as seen at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1–10).

The first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine.

The word used here for wine is same word used when warning about getting drunk in Ephesians 5:18

Why would Jesus create something that people could abuse, or be destructive?
Just because someone makes something, doesn't mean they are responsible for the misuse of it.

Paul encourages Timothy to “take a little wine” to help his stomach ailments (1 Timothy 5:23).
The water was alot of the time not safe to drink and contaminated and wine was a safer option.

Were there people in the new tetamnt who didnt drink? Yes! John the baptist.

Now lets look at what the new testament warns about alcohol.

It says that people who get drunk will not make it to heaven. This a pretty sevre warning about the misuse of alcohol.

The bible is clear that drunkenness is a sin!!!

What is drunkenness?? I would say the point at which you are losing some of the control of any of your faculties physically or mentally.
Is alcohol back then the same as now?? No, It’s not the same- They would have drink so much more of what they had to equal the strength of some of the drinks we have today-
They didnt have alot of options like me and you-

How to know if you are misusing alcohol??
1.You gotta have it, if you don't you don't bear the fruit of the spirit?
2. You go to it to forget your hard day or your problems and when you're stressed out.
3.Ask someone close to you.You get very defensive about it.
4.You start to gauge how weather or not you want to go somewhere or be somewhere based on weather or not there's alcohol?

In our culture the enemy has an agenda with alcohol
500 people die everyday due to alcohol- a young girl was just killed from a drunk driver, alchol has ruined countless lives and destroyed many marriages and families.
Alcohol is nothing to play around with and think its a game to be played.

How to approach alcohol if you decide to.
Dont compare yourself to other people who seem to not have a problem with drinking,People are not the same. You might not to be able to.
be prayerful and very wise. Have accountability and check your motives.

Dont let your freedom hurt or cause another brother to stumble.

Don't just have a drink in front of someone if you know its hard for them to be around just because you can! Thast not love.

Dont force your convictions or freedoms on others.

The safest approach to alcohol is to abstain all together.

if you're struggling today with addiction or if you've getting drunk and need help please come speak with us today, were here to help.

Lets build a church around the filling of the Holy Spirit and nothing else!!!