Ditching The Things That Grab And Grip Us So Deadly

Temperance - Self-Control That Makes A Difference
Part 3 - Ditching The Things That Grab And Grip Us So Deadly

INTRO: Have you ever seen someone that was, just totally out of control? Have you, you personally been that person? To be honest, we have all probably been lacking self-control or temperance at some time in our lives. And to be sure, when we are out of control we tend to be less than pretty in God's eyes or human eyes either. Today I want to continue in a series on temperance. I want to look at what I call harmful habits and see how the lack of temperance affects those around us and our lives as well.

The Bible is full of examples of those who were ruined because of booze. It does not tell of any that were ruined because of marijuana, cocaine, heroine, prescription drugs, betting, or any other vices we want to name. We need to understand that even though the Bible is silent on things that did not exist when it was penned, the principles that apply to that apply to other items.

As an example, if God forbade riding in a horse carriage on March 15^th, and insisted one walk that day, then it would be wrong to ride in a Chevy or Ford that day as well. So anything that applies to alcohol applies to drugs, betting, or any thing else that we might allow to hurt our lives.

I want to deal with two basic questions today. Lets start with the first…

So, "What's so bad about booze?" I know all the arguments…

"It's not that bad."

"Everyone else is doing it."

"It's for medicinal purposes."

"I'm not hurting anyone else."

"I can quit at anytime."

"A little wine is good for you. The Bible tells us that."

"Jesus made wine."

We could go on.
So, "What is so bad about booze?"
First, and it should be enough…
God's Word warns of the sorrows, sufferings and dangers of drink

Romans 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

1 Corinthians 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Have you seen any sorrows or sufferings associated with drinking, drugs, gambling, etc.?

Have you seen hunger and sadness in families destroyed by the sin of alcohol?

One key warning here is the destination of those who reject salvation and continue in their sins.

God wants something else in our lives (shouldn't that be enough?)

1 Thessalonians 5:7 - 12

^{7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
^{8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
^{9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
^{10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
^{11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
^{12And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
Romans 13:12 - 14 ¹²The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
^{13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
^{14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

NKJV: Romans 13:12 - 14 ¹²The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Ephesians 5:18
^{18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;}}}}}}}}}

His Spirit

His love for others

Proper actions

Satan uses excesses to harm us

Proverbs 25:16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

There are other ways to satisfy our thirst

There are better ways to be "manly"

There are other ways to waste our money, etc.

Strong drink harms our ability to act wisely

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Proverbs 23:29 - 31 ²⁹Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

^{30They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
^{31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
Isaiah 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!}}

Dulls the mind

Damages the body

Removes proper caution - brings out a misplaced courage

Kills the body

Smothers the conscious

Leads to more grievous failures and sins

Etc.

Setting an example goes a long way

Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

We need to be controlled by Christ not vices and sins

We need to set and walk the example before our children

We need to show restraint before our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors

We need to walk according to Christ's example

Before I deal with the second question, I want to look at some in the Bible that alcohol or sin cost and hurt their lives or those around them…
Noah - Genesis 9

Brought sadness to his family

King Herod - Mark 6

Cost John his head

Nabor - 1 Samuel 25

Cost him everything

Samson - Judges 13-16

Cost him his strength, sight and life - eventually

Ahasuerus - Esther 1

Cost him respect and his wife

Cost Vashti her position in life

Belshazzar - Daniel 5

His kingdom, his life (at the time of his success)

The second question I want to answer is…
How do we apply the principles found in God's Word?
I have five (5) that I want to apply…
These sins are associated with evil or anti-God

We need to resist them

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

These sins hurt our brother

We need to reject them (for their sakes)

Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

These sins grab us so we can hardly let go

We need to release them

Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

These sins affect our positions of leadership and example

We need to restrain our selves

Leviticus 10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

These sins prevent our acquiring closeness with God

We need to refuse them

Numbers 6:3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

2 Peter 1:5 - 7 ⁵And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

^{6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
^{7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
1 Corinthians 9:25 - 27 ²⁵And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
^{26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
^{27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Ephesians 5:18 - 26 ¹⁸And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
^{19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
^{20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
^{21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
^{22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
^{23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
^{24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
^{25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
^{26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,}}}}}}}}}}}} Whatever the sin that controls us…

Whatever the sin that grabs us…

Whatever the sin that rules us…

Whatever the sin that separates us from God…

We need to let go of it

We need to resist, reject, release, restrain and refuse to have them in our lives.

Don't let sin grab and grip your life!

Give it up!

Ditch them.

Ditch them today!

Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 062506am