Sermon Tone Analysis

Most death

Produces more death than any other drug.

Over 55% of highway deaths are alcohol related.

It causes heart probs, liver probs, and powerful addiction 2. Most addiction

There are over 17 million alcoholics in America today, and rising.

They, by far, outnumber the addicts of any other drug.

$25 billion will be spent this year on beverage alcohol.

Not million, billion!

Alcohol kills over 200,000 Americans every year.

A generation is 40 years, right?

That means alcohol kills 8 million out of every generation.

We talk about Hitler and the holocaust, which killed 6 million.

We talk about the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, killing 80,000…Nagasaki, and 35,000 died.

And yet nearly twice that die every year from beverage alcohol…how’s that for dropping a bomb on you!

In the 9 years of the Vietnam War, 57,000 Americans died fighting for our country.

Millions protested that atrocity in the streets, completely blind to the 2 million dying at the hands of alcohol during the same period of time.

7. Immorality factor—

v. 33 “strange women”=someone you’re not married to!

Look at vv. 26-27.

Alcohol breaks down inhibitions and restraint.

Even the world knows it and jests, “candy is dandy but liquor is quicker!”

8. Instability factor—

v. 34 “tottering, staggering drunk” can’t walk straight, talk straight, or think straight…and yet the commercial calls him “the man of distinction.”

9. Insensibility factor—

v. 35 his sensibilities are deadened.

10.

Addiction factor—

End of v. 35 “I will seek it yet again.”

They sober up and realize it’s wrong, and regret it.

They agree with this message, and still say, “I will seek it yet again.”

Chinese proverb, “first the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, and then the drink takes the man.”

Alcohol is the devil’s substitute for a spirit-filled life.

For example, in the Book of Proverbs, alcoholic wine is referred to as a mocker and a deceiver that leads to violence (20:1-2), poverty (23:21), sorrow (23:29-30,) immorality(23:33,) insecurity (23:34,) insensibility (23:35,) and is even compared to a poisonous snake!

(23:32)

God honored Daniel for refusing the King’s wine (Daniel 1:5, 8, 16; 10:3.

John the Baptist’s greatness in the eyes of God was directly linked to the fact that he drank no wine or strong drink (Luke 1:15.)

Even as He was dying, Jesus refused the wine that was offered Him to deaden His pain (Mark 15: 23.)

JESUS AND WINE

What then, about the wine that Jesus made at the marriage feast?

Was it alcoholic?The Greek word used here is "oinos," a variation of the Hebrew word "yayin."This

word can refer to grape juice in any stage, either fermented,or unfermented.

Regardless of your opinion of casual drinking, I’m sure most of you will agree that drunkenness is definitely a sin.

In light of this, would Jesus contribute to drunkenness?

At the time Jesus had arrived at the feast, the guests had "well drunk"of whatever they were drinking (V.10.)

Jesus knew well the solemn warnings of Habakkuk 2:15,"Woe to him who gives his neighbor intoxicating drink."

(Note: If it is a sin to put alcohol to our neighbor’s lips, would it not also be a sin to put it to our own?)

With this in mind, we can be sure that the beverage Jesus made was a refreshing, nonalcoholic grape drink.

To do otherwise would have been totally incompatible with His nature.

No one ever became an alcoholic, who didn’t take the first drink.

"One beer might not send me to hell, but it could lead ten people there who saw me, and followed my example."

1) The Bible does teach total abstinence from alcohol.

Both the main Hebrew word for wine and the Greek word for wine can mean either fermented grape juice or intoxicating wine.

The English word wine originally had two meanings also - unfermented juice or alcoholic drink.

2) In the Bible, verses to show God approves of wine are speaking about unfermented juice.

Verses that expose the evils of wine are speaking about intoxicating wine.

3) The Bible says alcoholic drink is evil.

It is not just the amount one drinks that makes drinking a sin.

God condemns the drink itself.

(Prov 20:1 KJV) Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

4) God does not lead us into evil; He delivers us from it.

He does not teach us to practice evil in moderation.

Jesus did not make, use, approve, commend, or tell us to use intoxicating wine.

5) God made man to have fellowship with Him.

Alcohol goes directly to the brain, the communication center of the body.

It interferes with God’s purpose for mankind.

1) Genesis 9:20-26 - Noah became drunk; the result was immorality and family trouble.

2) Genesis 19:30-38 - Lot was so drunk he did not know what he was doing; this led to immorality

3) Leviticus 10:9-11 - God commanded priests not to drink so that they could tell the difference between the holy and the unholy.

4) Numbers 6:3 - The Nazarites were told to eat or drink nothing from the grape vine.

5) Deuteronomy 21:20 - A drunken son was stubborn and rebellious.

6) Deuteronomy 29:5-6 - God gave no grape juice to Israel nor did they have intoxicating drink in the wilderness.

7) Deuteronomy 32:33 - Intoxicating wine is like the poison of serpents, the cruel venom of asps.

8) Judges 13:4, 7, 14 - Samson was to be a Nazarite for life.

His mother was told not to drink wine or strong drink.

9) 1 Samuel 1:14-15 - Accused, Hannah said she drank no wine.

10) 1 Samuel 25:32-38 - Nabal died after a drunken spree.

11) 2 Samuel 11:13 - By getting Uriah drunk, David hoped to cover his sin.

12) 2 Samuel 13:28-29 - Amnon was drunk when he was killed.

13) 1 Kings 16:8-10 - The king was drinking himself into drunkenness when he was assassinated

14) 1 Kings 20:12-21 - Ben-Hadad and 32 other kings were drinking when they were attacked and defeated by the Israelites.

15) Esther 1:5-12 - The king gave each one all the drink he wanted.

The king was intoxicated when he commanded the queen to come.

16) Psalm 75:8 - The Lord’s anger is pictured as mixed wine poured out and drunk by the wicked.

17) Proverbs 4:17 - Alcoholic drink is called the wine of violence.

18) Proverbs 20:1 - Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging.

19) Proverbs 23:19-20 - A wise person will not be among the drinkers of alcoholic beverages.

20) Proverbs 23:21 - Drunkenness causes poverty.

21) Proverbs 23:29-30 - Drinking causes woe, sorrow, fighting, babbling, wounds without cause and red eyes.

22) Proverbs 23:31 - God instructs not to look at intoxicating drinks.

23) Proverbs 23:32 - Alcoholic drinks bite like a serpent, sting like an adder.

24) Proverbs 23:33 - Alcohol causes the drinker to have strange and adulterous thoughts, produces willfulness, and prevents reformation.

25) Proverbs 23:34 - Alcohol makes the drinker unstable

26) Proverbs 23:35 - Alcohol makes the drinker insensitive to pain so he does not perceive it as a warning.

Alcohol is habit forming.

27) Proverb 31:4-5 - Kings, Princes, and others who rule and judge must not drink alcohol.

Alcohol perverts good judgment.

28) Proverbs 31:6-7 - Strong drink could be given to those about to perish or those in pain.

Better anesthetics are available today.

29) Ecclesiastes 2:3 - The king tried everything, including intoxicating drink, to see if it satisfied.

It did not.

(Ecclesiastes 12:8)

30) Ecclesiastes 10:17 - A land is blessed when its leaders do not drink.