1 Corinthians 6 verse 12, Paul says, All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient or helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of Inharlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that He which is joined to Inharlot is one body? For two saith He shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. And then if you will, turn over to Romans chapter 15, and we will look to verses one through three. Romans chapter 15, beginning in verse one. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me. In the time that we have together tonight, I want us to continue our examination of the passionately debated question concerning Christians and the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The question we are investigating from scripture is, should Christians drink alcohol? Should Christians drink alcohol? Last Lord's Day evening, my primary objective was to lay an honest foundation about this topic so that Christians on both sides of the argument might be able to better understand each other while agreeing upon several undeniable realities as it pertains to the alcohol debate. And the first main point we considered last week was the heartbeat of the debate. In my personal assessment of this particular debate among the larger influence of Christendom over the years, it seems that the heartbeat of the debate centers around three main disputes. Dispute number one centers around the alcoholic content of biblical wines of yesteryears versus alcoholic drinks that are available to us today. Dispute number two centers around whether the Bible permits drinking in moderation or whether the Bible prohibits drinking altogether. Dispute number three centers around whether drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation is a matter of Christian liberty. Reminding you of the disputes in a little bit more detail, you will remember that dispute number one centers around opinions regarding the differences of alcoholic content between the wines of Bible days and the wines of our day. Within the first dispute, some say that the wine mentioned throughout scripture was so diluted with water and so considerably weaker than wines today that it is not even close to being the same. Others say that wine is wine and beer is beer, so Christians can drink alcoholic beverages so long as they do not drink in excess and or become mastered by alcoholic beverages. Closely related to dispute number one is dispute number two. Dispute number two centers around opinions regarding whether the Bible altogether forbids the drinking of alcohol or whether the Bible cautiously permits the drinking of alcohol in moderation. Within this second dispute, some say that because Bible wines are not the same beverages as the wines that are available to us today, Christians should be abstaining from alcoholic drinks altogether. Others argue that drinking an occasional glass of wine or can of beer in private in small quantities is permissible because, and I quote, the Bible speaks of wine in a positive way. Jesus turned water into wine and Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach's sake. The one side argues that drinking alcohol in moderation is permitted in Scripture. The other side argues that nowhere in the New Testament do we find biblical justification for drinking drinks as we have available to us today. Closely linked to dispute number two is dispute number three. Dispute number three centers around opinions whether a Christian can exercise their, quote, Christian liberty to enjoy a glass of wine or beer if they so please. Within this third dispute, some say that because alcohol in our day has become such a powerful god that the world glories in, Christians should avoid it. Others say that drinking in moderation is a matter of Christian liberty. Those among the Christian Liberty Camp would argue, just as Christians have Christian liberty to drink unhealthy energy drinks if they please, just as Christians have Christian liberty to drink multiple cups of coffee throughout the day if they want, just as Christians have Christian liberty to eat unhealthy snacks and processed foods from time to time, so they say having liberty to enjoy an adult beverage is the choice of the Christian. These three disputes lay at the heartbeat of the debate. The second introductory truth that I sought to establish in our understanding about this topic consisted of five general biblical statements about alcoholic drinks that both sides should be able to agree upon. And the first general biblical statement that I made last week that does hold weight is the truth that there is no direct command in Scripture against the drinking of wine. Now we can argue about the meaning of Hebrew and Greek words as it pertains to the word wine. We can argue fermentation processes and the ratio of water to wine. But I think both sides should be able to agree that there is nothing in scripture that specifically says that drinking wine is a sin against God. There's not a command among the 10 commandments that says, thou shalt not drink a can of beer, thou shalt not drink a glass of wine. This is the first general biblical statement. The second general biblical statement that I made last week is the truth that the Bible does specifically condemn drunkenness and enslavement to alcohol or wine. Both sides should be able to agree in this point. The Bible specifically says, Ephesians 5.18, be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. The Bible specifically says, Galatians 5.21, that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God, and Christians are not to fellowship with those who tarry long at the wine. Proverbs 23.20, 1 Corinthians 5.11. The third general biblical statement that I made last week is the truth that there are many passages that speak of drinking wine in positive terms. If we are to be honest with scripture, both sides must acknowledge this to be true. Again, we can argue the meaning of what the word wine means, but we cannot deny that wine, generally speaking, is mentioned in a positive way throughout the scripture. Such passages include Deuteronomy 7.13, Deuteronomy 11.14, Ecclesiastes 9.7, Psalm 104.15, Amos 9.14, and Isaiah 55.1. The fourth general biblical statement that I made last week is the truth that strong drink and wine was encouraged to be used for medicinal purposes. Proverbs 31, Solomon says, strong drink should be given to those who are perishing. Strong drink should be given to those who are in pain near their moment of death. 1 Timothy 5, 23, Paul tells Timothy, Again, whether you are for or against drinking, I think we can collectively agree that such truths are in the Bible. Alcoholic drinks are mentioned in a positive way as it relates to bodily illnesses and physical pains of the body. The fifth general biblical statement that I made last week is the truth that the Bible very frequently mentions alcohol in a negative way. I will not mention all of the references, but the Bible does mention many dangers associated with drinking wine and drinking alcoholic beverages. To name just a few, Genesis 9 20 through 26, Noah became drunk with wine and it led to acts of immorality and family trouble to say the least. In Genesis 19, 30 through 38, Lot drank wine and became so drunk that it led to his daughters taking sexual advantage of him, which led him to have a shameful, incestuous relationship with his own children. Leviticus 10, 9-11, God commands the priests not to drink wine nor strong drink that they might be able to tell the difference between the holy and the unholy. Daniel 1, 5-17, we read of Daniel refusing the king's intoxicating wine and was blessed for it along with his abstaining friends. 1 Thessalonians 5, 6-7, we read that Christians are to be watchful and sober in contrast to being drunk. So the fifth general biblical statement that I made is the truth that the Bible very frequently mentions alcohol in a negative warning way. The third and final introductory truth that I sought to establish in our understanding about the question of alcohol consisted of five general realities about alcohol that are universally known by the world at large. So having examined the heartbeat of the debate, having examined five truths that must be agreed upon about alcohol from a biblical perspective, Last week I left you with five undeniable realities about alcohol that I presented from a non-biblical perspective. Truth number one is the truth that alcohol is a very addictive drug. That is universally known. Truth number two is the truth that medical research is affirming more and more that alcohol can and does lead to serious health problems. Truth number three is the truth that alcohol has always had an obvious association with other godless activities. Both Christians and non-Christians should be able to agree on that. Truth number four is the truth that alcohol is a factor in many crime-related incidents. And then truth number five is the truth that alcohol consumption has led to and will forever lead to the destruction of marriages, homes, family relations, friendships, and lives. All this being asserted, the question is still staring us in the face. Should Christians drink alcohol? Well, up to this point, we have not considered any biblical principles to assess this question by. Thus far, we have only examined the differencing disputes about the debate and 10 undeniable realities about alcohol from a biblical viewpoint and a non-biblical viewpoint. So the question that must be asked at this instance is, where do we go from here? What is the proper way to find an answer to this passionately debated topic among Christendom? Well, I believe the answer is to take the Word of God and ask the straightforward, honest questions that need to be asked. I believe the answer is in Acts 17 11. To search out the scriptures as the Bereans did and to see what the scriptures actually say, more than just in its commands, but in its principles. So in the searching for an answer to this question, we should not respond by saying, I don't care. I'm gonna do what I want to do. We should not respond by saying, I'm gonna do what I feel is right. I'm gonna do what I feel is best for me. I'm gonna do what the majority of other Christians are doing. I'm gonna do what I've always done. If we claim to be Bible-believing, Bible-loving followers of Jesus Christ, in the assessment of the question at hand, we must, we must, we must turn to the sufficiency of God's holy word and allow the teachings of God's word to lead us to a God-glorifying answer. I think both sides should agree on that. we must let scripture speak not only into this topic, but into every topic that we face in life. If both sides differ on what the word wine actually means, if both sides agree that the Bible does not specifically give a thou shalt command against drinking wine, Then the next biblical thing to do is to meditate upon the principles of God's word so that we as God's people will be led by the Holy Spirit to make a wise decision regarding our relationship with alcohol. And that's what I want to do in the remainder of this second message. In this second message, I want to offer you some biblically formed questions to honestly think about. So that being said, in the remainder of our time, I want to present 11 biblically shaped questions to think about as it pertains to the drinking of alcohol. 11 biblically shaped questions. Question number one. Are you absolutely convinced that the wine you are drinking or the wine that you desire to drink has the same alcoholic content as the wine in the Bible? To those who quickly assert that it is okay to drink wine because, quote, Jesus drank wine, My question for them would be, are you sincerely convinced from scripture that the wine you drink today is essentially the same wine that Jesus created at the marriage in Cana of Galilee? This is a legitimate question. For those who say, wine is wine, therefore I have nothing to worry about, my question for you would be, are you absolutely convinced that the wine that is mentioned in the Old Testament is the same wine that you can buy at the liquor store? And are you willing to wager your testimony upon it? Now you can make fun of those who say that wine is similar to Welch's grape juice as much as you want. But I'm asking, are you sure that the wine of the Bible wasn't highly diluted with water? Are you sure that the alcoholic content of wines then and wines today are equivalent to one another? This is question number one, and it deserves to be asked. Question number two. Are you sure you want to associate with a powerful God that the unbelieving world loves and glories in? Now it cannot be denied that the world, who by the way, is at enmity with God, reveres, worships, adores alcoholic beverages. It cannot be denied that alcohol is a powerful, addictive substance that the lost world feels that they have to have to make them happy. I mean, everything from the world's music, the world's television shows, the world's movies, the world's meetings, centers around and praises alcoholic beverages. From bars, to casinos, to dance clubs, to parties, to concerts of various kinds, alcohol seems to be the focal point of the world's social gatherings and the world's, quote, fun times. I mean, there have been times in my going to Stater Brothers grocery store on a Friday night where I have heard clerks joking around about excitement for the weekend because they're going to get wasted. And I've also been to the Stater Brothers grocery stores on a Monday morning, and I've heard different clerks talking about their heavy consumption of alcohol over the weekend, and they laugh about it. Alcohol is what the lost world thinks about, what the lost world talks about, what the lost world desires, and what the lost world glories in. It is a false god among many gods. So my question is, are you sure you want to associate with a powerful God that the unbelieving world loves and glories in? Especially when the Bible calls Christian people to be separate from the world. This is Romans 12, one and two. Paul says, I beseech you, I beg you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Likewise, 2 Corinthians 6, 17, Paul says, Wherefore come out from among them, from among the world, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Are you sure you want to associate with a powerful God that the unbelieving world loves and glories in? Question number three. How do you know that drinking alcoholic beverages will never lead to drunkenness? How can you be so sure that drinking in moderation will not lead to an unhealthy addiction? Those who drink in moderation are sometimes quick to tell me that the Bible condemns drunkenness, the Bible condemns enslavement to alcohol, not drinking in moderation. And I usually respond by saying, okay, I see where you're coming from. But my question is, how can you be so sure That one drink will not lead to two drinks. Two drinks lead to three drinks. Three drinks lead to four drinks. How can you say so confidently that you will never have an unhealthy addiction to alcoholic beverages? This is another legitimate question that is rarely asked. It's rarely asked, but it must be asked. You say you would never get drunk. You say you will only have a glass of wine or beer every once in a while on, quote, special occasions. But what if special occasions become more and more frequent? What if you begin to look for special occasions every week and then every other day so that you can justify your drinking by, quote, special occasions? Also, what do you think might happen if you begin feeling depressed? And the alcoholic beverages you have purchased are staring you in the face at your home. What do you think might happen if an unwanted tragedy comes into your life and you possess bottles of alcohol that are easily accessible? Do you think you might be tempted to drink in such instances? I can tell you as a pastor that I've counseled people who profess the name of Christ who have told me very sincerely that they only drink every once in a while. But when crisis enters into their life, when they start feeling down and lonely, they begin drinking more and more. And this is precisely my point. The Bible says, who so trusts in his heart is a fool. The Bible says we are not to put confidence in our flesh. The Bible says that pride comes before a fall. So to the one who says, I will never, I'm too strong, I can handle it. Have you ever considered that such statements are statements of pride and they are statements of self-reliance? Even Peter said, Lord, though all men deny you, I will never deny you. And guess what happened? Never say never. I've seen instances where Christians foolishly say, I would never. And God in His disciplining grace allows them to be given over to their foolishness to show how arrogant they are for trusting in themselves. This is question number three. How do you know that drinking alcoholic beverages will never lead to drunkenness? How can you be so sure that drinking in moderation will not lead to an unhealthy addiction? Question number four. Is the consumption of alcoholic beverages, even in moderation, worth the dangers it presents to your testimony? You see the Bible open to Ecclesiastes. Solomon the preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes that a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. Solomon says a good name is better than fine perfume. And speaking of perfume in Ecclesiastes, Solomon likewise says that there are little lifeless insects, namely flies, that have the ability to ruin a whole patch of perfume. Ecclesiastes 10.1, dead flies make the perfume's ointment to give off a sting, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. This is the question. The question is, is the consumption of a little alcohol here or there worth the dangers it presents to your testimony? Is alcohol worth consuming with people who do not know Christ in your workplace? Is alcohol worth consuming with lost family members who are trying to be reached for the gospel? Is alcohol worth consuming before the eyes of your children or your grandchildren? Do you really want your children and your grandchildren justifying their drinking habits because they remember that you told them that it was acceptable? Parents, listen to me for a moment. Do you really want your children growing up and telling the world, my dad and my mom used to drink and that's how I got started? even if you drink in moderation, even if you drink in private, you need to understand, listen, that what you do in private will be echoed from the housetop one day. Whether you like it or not, your children will look back and remember what you allowed into your home. They will. So I'm asking, is the consumption of alcoholic beverages, even in moderation, worth the dangers it presents to your testimony? Question number five. Is the consumption of alcoholic beverages, even in moderation, worth the dangers it presents in the possibility of being a stumbling block to others? What if a new Christian who has been saved from a life of drunkenness hears or sees that you have alcoholic beverages in your home? What if one of your family members who already resists the gospel charges you with being a hypocrite for partaking in alcoholic beverages? What do you do if your family knows that you drink occasionally and they want to bring over a couple of bottles of wine for a special occasion? But you are having other people from church over to your house with your family who don't drink. And those from church are coming over with your lost family members. They've been saved from a life of alcoholism. What do you say? What do you do? Do you tell your family not to bring the wine over? Or do you allow those from church who used to be enslaved by alcohol to just deal with it? On the one hand, your family says, what's your problem? I mean, you drink, I know you drink. You should be who you really are to your church family. Stop being a hypocrite. On the other hand, you know you don't want to spoil your testimony, you don't want to be a stumbling block to others in the church, you don't want other brothers or sisters in Christ that you invited over to your home to go back to church and tell the church, guess what I saw at so-and-so's house? What do you do? Do you look like a hypocrite to your family? Or do you exercise your liberty to those you may offend? These are real life situations that happen all the time. What about this? What if you take a trip down to the Emmanuel Baptist Rescue Mission that we support, downtown LA, and somebody there after the service asks you about your opinion of alcohol? What do you say to them? Let's go back to your children for a moment. Let's suppose you feel that you have the liberty to drink a glass of wine or can of beer from time to time, and you have wine or beer around your house. What happens when your children become a little older? And they become a little bit more curious. And they become curious about the quote, special drinks you hide up in the cupboard. Let's say that your teenagers have friends over to your house while you are gone somewhere, and they begin to look at those bottles of alcohol. And the looking leads to smelling, and the smelling leads to tasting, and the tasting leads to an unfortunate situation. My question to you is, do you really want to put that temptation before your children? who by the way are underage. Do you really want to risk your moderate drinking habits to present an opportunity for your children to stumble in that way? And guess who is really to blame in that situation? It's not the child, but the parent. And by the way, if you say, my child would never, they would get it from me if they ever did that. Let's not forget you were a child once. Shall we call you forward and you can tell us about your sneaky habits? My child would never because they're a sinless perfect angel. That's your response. You are completely ignorant regarding how sinful the human heart is. My child would never. Your child would be the first. Think about it. Is the consumption of alcoholic beverages, even in moderation, worth the dangers it presents and the possibility of being a stumbling block to others? Question number six, is the consumption of alcoholic beverages, even in moderation, worth losing the respect you have among Christian and non-Christian people? Now I know the response is, you say, I don't care what people think about me. They can think what they want. Only God can judge me. You can say that till you are blue in the face, but the reality is what you say and what you do is all tied in with how others view you. You don't have to like that, but that's just life. There is an association with one's character as it relates to one's association with alcohol. I'll give you a good example. Everybody awake? What would you think of me if you saw me having dinner with my family at Applebee's and I had a cold brewski at the table? What would you think of my sweet, wonderful wife Becky if you saw a picture of her having a glass of wine on Facebook? What would you think of the Kuhlman family, the Kuhlman name? If on Levi's 21st birthday, we bought him a case of beer and we say, Levi, enjoy this 12-pack in moderation. Come on. What would you think? What do you think most people would think? Would you be eager to tell your lost family that I'm your pastor who faithfully urges Christians to separate from the world and be more like Christ every Sunday? The truth is, if some of you saw me with a big glass of beer at Applebee's, or if you saw Becky posting pictures of herself drinking wine on social media, some of you would huff and puff and blow up my phone with text messages. Naturally, some of you would wonder if Becky and I have a serious drinking problem. I mean, from your perspective, how do you know that we only drink one beer and one wine on occasions? Come on, stay with me. What if I posted a picture of myself on social media with a T-shirt that said Budweiser? Think about it. Pastor Casey, Facebook picture, Budweiser, big horse. Most of you would say, I can't believe the pastor's wearing a Budweiser t-shirt, I'm never going back to Calvary Baptist Church. I can't imagine having a pastor who glories in a beer company. Okay, now, suppose I come back at you with, What's the difference between having a beer, supporting the company financially, and wearing the T-shirt? I come back to you and I say, come on, what's wrong with it? The Bible doesn't say thou shalt not wear a Budweiser T-shirt. Come on, give me chapter and verse. I have the liberty to wear whatever I want to wear. Stop judging me, only God knows my heart. Oh, I can hear the arguments now, and it goes like this, but you are the pastor. Oh, so being a pastor puts me on a different playing level? Yes, the principles of scripture differs for pastor. The pastor is to be above reproach. My answer is, now show me where in the Bible it permits Christians to be below reproach. Come on, Paul says, the pastor missionary says, you follow me as I follow the Lord. We're on the same level here, let's go. The Bible says we are all kings and priests in Christ. All of us are to do everything we can to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts so that we might strive to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. You can say that people should mind their own business all you want, but I'm saying that drinking alcohol can and often does lead to both believers and unbelievers losing respect for you when they see your participation in it. Alcohol in a general sense is just such a known evil in our world that others will naturally connect your association with alcohol to your character. They just will. Question number seven, if you argue that you have Christian liberty to drink alcoholic beverages, is it not strange that you are associating with something that some people are desperately trying to avoid because they have been destroyed by it? I find it strangely interesting that the lost world celebrates their sobriety from alcohol after they've been ruined by alcoholic beverages, while some Christians want to celebrate their liberty for alcohol. Isn't it interesting that those among the alcoholic anonymous groups are rejoicing with their so-called brothers at how many weeks and how many months they've become dry? And those among some churches are rejoicing with their so-called brothers about their future backyard barbecue hangouts that will include beer kegs. Isn't it interesting that the world sometimes tries to be less worldly than those who profess Christ? This is an interesting point to think about. Question number eight. Do you think that drinking alcohol will help you be a better witness for Christ? Somebody says, yeah, because Paul said, you need to become like the world to win the world. And I say, really? Do you really think Paul was encouraging Christians to go to the bars? to get tattoos, to listen to the world's blasphemous music, to live like the world lives so that we can be a more effective witness for Christ? Did Jesus Christ himself ever become less holy to try to win unbelievers? The answer is, of course he didn't. So my eighth question is, do you think that drinking alcohol will help you be a better witness for Christ? And if so, in what ways? I know some in this room who have admitted to me that they want nothing to do with alcohol at all because they don't want the lost world pointing their fingers saying, you are a professing Christian and you don't live any different than I do. In fact, I saw you at the store buying a big bottle of my favorite drink. First Peter 3.15 says, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Does alcohol help you do that? Does alcohol help you sanctify God in your heart? Does alcohol help you to be ready to give an answer of the hope that lies within you? Question number nine, how does alcohol help you grow to be a better Christian? In what practical way does it help you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ? Does it help you with reading and studying the scripture? Does it help you be a better husband and father? Does it help you to be a better wife and mother? Does it help you to be a better neighbor? Does it help you to be a better church member? Does it help you to be a better financial giver to the kingdom of God? Is it helping you to be the best soldier for Christ that you can be? Is it helping you to run your Christian race with greater fervor? This is a question that deserves to be asked. How and in what ways does it help you to grow? Question number 10. Do you think that drinking alcohol is the best decision to make? Now let's not forget that it is the pastoral desire of the Apostle Paul, Philippians chapter one, for Christians to strive after the best things in the Christian life. He says, Philippians 1, 9 and 10, and this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that ye may approve things that are excellent, the best, that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Jesus Christ. And this is one of my clashes with those who want to continue to argue about everything with the words, what's wrong with it? That's the new name of the game today in our Christianity. Everybody wants to question everything. What's wrong with it? What's wrong with it? What's wrong with this? What's wrong with that? What's wrong with this? Well, my beef is we should not only be asking what's wrong with this, we should be asking what's right with this and is it the best? Don't just stop at one question. Ask all the questions. So I'm asking in this 10th question, having provided you with the facts, biblical and non-biblical, about alcohol and the dangers of alcohol, having shown you the facts that alcohol is an addictive drug, the facts that alcohol can and does lead to serious health problems, having shown you the facts that alcohol has always had relations with other godless activities, having shown you the facts that it is a factor to many crime-related instances, Having shown you that alcohol has led to and will lead to the destruction of marriages, homes, family relations, friendships, and lives. Having shown you many biblical principles that would encourage us to refrain from it. Having shown you how it could be a stumbling block to others, especially your children. My question is, do you really think it is the best decision to make? Is it the best? Is it the most excellent way? And then question number 11, do you feel like you have to have it? And if you feel that you have to have it, why? Why? If you say you cannot and or you will not ever give it up, why? Is it because you are knowingly being stubborn? Is it because of peer pressure? Is it because the fear of man that brings the snare, you are afraid what others might say or think if you give it up? Does alcohol have more of a hold on you than you realize? It may be, someone is here tonight, who in their heart, in their mind, they say, I cannot imagine life without alcoholic drinks. I cannot imagine social gatherings without it. My question to you is why? This is something you need to ask yourself because it's possible that alcohol already has a stronghold on your heart. It's possible that alcohol may be a God you enjoy visiting from time to time to find pleasure. The question is do you feel like you have to have it And then the follow-up question would be, would you be willing to give it up if you were convinced by the Holy Spirit through the authoritative teaching of God's word that it wasn't the best thing for your life? Do you feel like you have to have it? So let's get back to our question. Should Christians drink alcoholic beverages? Well, the answer is, That's a question that you need to wrestle out from the scripture. That's a question that you need to think about as you think about standing before the Lord and giving an account of your life to Him. Now, if you were to ask me the question, I think you already know my answer. My answer is a straightforward, resounding no. I do not believe drinking alcohol is a wise decision that can be strongly supported by Scripture. And if you were to ask me to give me three main reasons why I encourage other Christians not to drink, I would tell you, number one, I believe that there are more negatives than positives in drinking alcoholic beverages. That would be my first answer. In our assessment of this topic, As we look at arguments in the Bible and arguments outside of the Bible, I believe that there are more arguments against drinking than for drinking. I believe if you were to put the biblical arguments for drinking and the biblical arguments against drinking on a scale, you will find that there are more negatives than positives. Let's just do it real quick. What are the arguments for drinking? I can only think of really three in the realm of Christendom. Number one, someone says, I like it. It tastes good to me. Number two, they say, I can. I feel like I have the liberty to enjoy that in moderation. And number three, they might say, it's fun to do on social occasions. It's fun to do from time to time. I think those are the primary three reasons for arguing four. But what are the arguments against? Well, we've already talked about them. Health problems, relational problems, testimony problems, stumbling block problems, association with the world problems, possible addiction problems, and so on and so forth. So as for me, as I consider this question, I believe that there are far more negatives than positives in drinking alcoholic beverages. The second main reason why I discourage others from drinking is due to the fact that oftentimes when you excuse one controversial Christian liberty topic, it's far too easy to excuse another controversial Christian liberty topic. Often, these Christian liberty topics come in a whole package deal. More and more, I'm finding that those who question one area of, quote, exercising their Christian liberty with another controversial topic of exercising their Christian liberty, when you open that door, anything goes. Those who drink alcohol start saying, well, what's wrong with smoking tobacco? And then what's wrong with getting a tattoo? What's wrong with listening to secular music? What's wrong with going to secular music concerts? What's wrong with wearing short shorts and low tops? What's wrong with watching rated R movies? What's wrong with cussing? And what's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong? If you open the door for one debated justification, it's easy to open the door for another. I've seen it. I've seen it time and time again with men who I've deemed to be godly men. Men who have helped me tremendously in my Christian life. Men who used to sit, women who used to sit in our pews. And isn't that the attack of the evil one? Did God really say, show me chapter and verse? Don't be so uptight. Everybody else is doing it. Did God really say, did God really say? And then you start saying that everywhere. The third reason I choose to stay away from alcohol and why I encourage others to stay away from alcohol is because I believe the biblical teaching about Christian liberty does not give us freedom to do what we want. It gives us freedom to serve Christ. 2 Corinthians 5.15 Romans 15.1-3 Notice the focus about not pleasing self. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me. I think this doctrine of quote Christian liberty has been so abused and so misapplied in our day. We've used it as a blanket statement to live however we want to live, and the Bible kicks against that very strongly. Antinomianism, no law, we're under grace, we're not under the law, we're New Testament Christians, we're not Old Testament Christians, interesting enough, but they wanna point to the Old Testament to use justification for all their drinking, ah. The pastor brings up a topic in Leviticus about tattoos, and they say, you can't use that, that's the law, that's for Israel. Oh, but our drinking of wine, Old Testament, Old Testament, Old Testament, Old Testament, Old Testament, ah, pick and choose, is it? You really only have one proof text in the New Testament, Jesus turned the water into wine. And now you're assuming that that wine is the same as wine you're drinking today. Christian liberty, what does it mean? Yes, we have liberty. Yes, we are not under the law, that is true. Yes, we are under grace, but liberty doesn't give us a freedom to sin, it gives us freedom to serve Christ sacrificially for the good of others. Oh, but I hear another objection. And the objection says, but pastor, what about this? And pastor, what about this? And pastor, what about this? And pastor, what about their sin? You're focusing on alcohol, but what about those who drink too much coffee? What about those Starbucks addicts? What about those who eat too many unhealthy snacks? I saw brother so-and-so at Walmart with a big case of donut, and I'm actually sure that they're gonna eat them all. You know what I say? Here's what I say. I say, I hear what you're saying. I say, I understand, you're right. But come on, let's be honest. You know that such and such things are not on the same level as alcohol. That's just common sense. When was the last time you heard of someone on the streets because of Twinkies? Shall we go to the Emanuel Baptist Restoration? How many of your lives have been ruined because you ate too many Twinkies? When was the last time you heard of someone going to energy drink anonymous class? When was the last time you heard someone ruining their testimony because of a pot of coffee? When did someone drink too much soda and it caused the world to say, you're being a hypocrite because you drink too much Pepsi? You can fuss and complain about things, and in some respects you are right, you're not wrong. But the truth is, alcohol is a powerful drug, and it's a powerful drug that is cherished by the world, and it has the potential of causing an abundance of spiritual and physical problems for the Christian. And this is why it is not on the same playing field as other topics. I hear what you're saying, you're right. In sermons, future, we will address such issues. Our body is the temple and we ought to take care of it physically and that pertains to our diet. If we're gonna be balanced, we have to throw that out there. And so we must, we must, we must. Consider this. I have one final word that I want to get, then I will conclude. My final word is a warning to those who do not drink. Lest you think that I am up here behind this pulpit giving teetotallers ammunition to shoot at their brothers and sisters who don't drink, I want to go on record giving a blunt warning to those who abstain from drinking. And my blunt warning is this, here it is, beware of self-righteousness. Beware of thinking yourself to be better than somebody else because you don't drink alcoholic beverages. Listen, it's possible to be more sinful than those who don't drink simply because you're filled with pride. It's possible to be intoxicated with your own self-righteous attitude. You are not more spiritual because you do or do not do something. This is exactly Jesus' rebuke toward the Pharisees who looked down their nose towards others and they said, I'm better than them because I do such and such and I don't do such and such. Your spirituality has nothing to do with what you do. Your spirituality is connected with your communion with Jesus Christ. So be careful, be oh so careful of being hard on others and easy on yourself. Be more hard on yourself and easy on others. Before you point the finger, begin to condemn. Do you even know their story? Maybe they're babes in Christ. Maybe they're still learning. Maybe they haven't been confronted with biblical truth. Maybe it is a serious addiction that they're trying to fight against. You don't know. You don't know their health condition. Maybe rather than popping pills, maybe they have a glass of wine to help with some health issues. I don't know, I'm just saying, be careful. of seeing something and assuming the worst. First Corinthians 13 tells us that charity actually assumes the best of people. So be careful, be careful. The Bible says every Christian ought to take heed to themselves lest they fall, and every Christian will stand before the Lord and give an account for their own life. I close with 1 Corinthians 10 31. Paul says, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.