THE BATTLE OF THE BOTTLE

0:10 What if I told you that this beer, this solitary beverage can teach you and me a lot about the Lord? Let me say that again. What if I told you that this beer could show us what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God? Some of you are here and you're probably thinking to yourself, wow, what is this pastor doing with a beer in church? I understand that. For many, it would be uncomfortable. Others of you, as I said last time, are probably thinking, Ed, drink the beer.

1:11 Your sermon will be much better. It's interesting to me that so many churches rarely talk about alcohol. It's mentioned over 200 times in Scripture, and there are four more times of warnings, of cautions, than there are freedoms to drink. Let me say, though, categorically, unequivocally, theologically, you cannot say that Christians cannot drink. You can't say that.

2:07 You can't say that biblically. we have the freedom, that's the key word there, to drink beverage alcohol. There are three types of drinking that the Bible talks about. It talks about drinking in moderation. I don't really like that term, moderation, but in today's culture, it's a real cool term. The reason I don't like moderation is every person that I know who has a substance issue started with moderation. But just for illustrative purposes, you know what I'm talking about. Drinking in moderation would be drinking not excessively nor drinking that would lead you to drunkenness. Moderation is where we have the freedom as Christians to drink if we so desire.

3:13 excessive drinking is the second area that's a sin before god and then drunkenness is also a sin before god it's fascinating that ephesians chapter 5 verse 18 talks about this ephesians chapter 5, verse 18, parallels, are you ready for this? Drunkenness with wine and drunkenness with the Holy Spirit. Isn't that interesting? Here the Apostle Paul said these words, and do not get drunk with wine for, that's debauchery, but be filled or controlled, or some translations say drunk with the Holy Spirit. As I said, remember, remember, we can learn a lot about God with this can of beer.

4:15 So just as I can become drunk with wine, alcohol, again, you can talk about different substances, vaping, smoking weed, we can chase all those rabbits down the rabbit trails, I get it. but I can become drunk, intoxicated with wine or beer or liquor. I have that opportunity. When I do so, I cannot glorify God. When I do so, I cannot really worship God. I can't. If I'm drinking excessively or if I'm drunk, I can't do that. Alcohol controls me and it controls you when we're inebriated. Paul says don't be worrying about that stuff I mean hey you guys have seen people being drunk he's talking to to different people in Ephesus you've you've seen drunkenness drunkenness is a popular thing it goes a lot with some of the false religions out there and Paul was like forget being drunk or controlled by wine that leads to debauchery you can be controlled isn't this awesome?

5:37 Filled, inebriated by the Holy Spirit of God. the stats are stunning. 50% of adults have some sort of a drinking issue in their past or in their family of origin.

6:01 50%. I've been around alcohol a lot, as I alluded to last time, and it's an exception more than the rule that someone can hold their liquor. Yes, I know people that drink in moderation and stop. That, though, is an exception really more than the rule because most people, when we begin to drink, one turns into two, two turns into three, and you know the rest of the story. no one wakes up and goes I want to have a drinking problem I want to screw my life up I want to go over the edge you know and we drink a beer to take the edge off but then the beer will send us over the edge I've never met a person that said that it just is seductive takes us by the hand and leads us Thank you.

7:07 so what do we do when it comes to the subject of alcohol again i'm shocked that most people don't talk about it at fellowship church we don't skip over subjects that might be a little bit controversial because the bible talks directly and lovingly and openly about them and if you're here today and you're struggling in this issue i applaud you you knew what was going to be served up you knew what was going to be on tap today, and you're here. And you might be here, and you're like, no one knows what I'm dealing with. I mean, I look great on the outside, but God sees what's on the inside. Thank you for being here. Others here, we've been damaged by alcohol in our family of origin, or maybe like Lisa and I, you've even faced death. our daughter, LeBeth, died because of this.

8:10 Right here. So what do we do about alcohol? I'm glad you're asking that question. Man, it gets so quiet, doesn't it? Whenever I talk about money, sex, or drinking, you can hear a pin drop. because they're so personal. the book of Proverbs chapter 23 talks about this issue I mean the Bible just says okay here it is let me read Proverbs 23 31 do not gaze at wine when it is red when it sparkles in the cup when it goes down smoothly do not verse 20 Do not join those, I skipped up, who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.

9:11 For drunkards and gluttons become poor and drowsiness clothes them in rags. Now jump to Proverbs 23 verse 30. Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. The author is talking about that. Then Proverbs 23, 32 through 34, in the end, it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things. Your mind will imagine confusing things. You'll be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. And Proverbs 23, 35, they hit me. You'll say, but I'm not hurt. They beat me, but I don't feel it. When will I wake up so I can find another drink? I just gave you five principles of dealing with alcohol.

10:07 I say I, I just read the word of God. The first one is the decision. The decision. We have a decision, don't we? with this beer, a decision. Remember I read to you Proverbs 23, 31, do not gaze at wine when it's red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. Cup means we have a choice. You have a choice in the matter. I have a choice in the matter. We choose our choices, but we can't choose our consequences. Let that settle for a second.

10:51 This unopened beer is benign. It's neutral. What do we do? Do we walk past it? Do we stay away from it? Or do we make the decision to open it? Now, some of you might be saying, well, oh, Ed, this is the personal decision, whether to drink or not. No, it's not. Now, wait a minute. What do you mean? It's not. I mean, an element of it is personal, but once you pop the top, it affects others. If you don't believe me, just think for a second. If you don't believe me, just recall the story of our daughter dealing. with this stuff. What is your choice when it comes to alcohol? It's interesting that we look for excuses to drink. Have you ever noticed that? Like the Stanley Cup in the carpool line.

12:05 you're playing golf at the turn sporting events concerts, festivals vacation after a hard day to again knock the edge off tailgating, barbecues we love to look for excuses to drink because when we drink or get high or whatever we're not feeling our feelings anymore We're escaping. It's like the old adage, I'm feeling no pain.

12:42 And the apostle Paul says, why are you wasting your time doing that, which will not satisfy when you can be filled with the Holy Spirit of God, which will satisfy you? Why? And then Paul is challenging us to get filled with the Holy Spirit. I was talking to a friend of mine who's struggled with addiction. He's only 32 years old. And I asked him straight up, I said, do you drink?

13:19 He said, no, I don't. I said, why? He said, you know, Ed, there are just not enough wins in drinking. powerful, isn't it? And students, you will have to make this decision. Some of you have already made this decision. This decision will loom large. It will seem like it's no big deal. It'll seem like it doesn't really matter. But I'm telling you, it matters. what are you doing with the unopened bottle? When we make a decision, a choice, it needs to be intense. Alcohol is intense. Drugs, definitely, they're intense.

14:18 So we have to make an intense decision before we pop the top. If you think about tenses, you've got the past, present, and future. There are three, correct? Okay. So before I open this, I've got to think, based on my past, well, 50% of us have alcoholism or drinking issues in our family, so that's something to consider. But even individually, think about your past your connection, your relationship with alcohol in the past. Now think about the present. Is this right now the wisest thing for me to do? Because let's face it, alcohol is the gateway for immorality. I don't think you heard me.

15:16 Alcohol is the gateway of immorality. It attacks our brains. Our resistance falls away. We say things and we do things we would never do otherwise. You see, God has given us this beautiful restraint. and alcohol takes it away. How about the future?

15:48 Thinking about opening this, consider your future. Is this going to take me where I want to go? What will my life look like? right before I walked in here I looked at a picture on my wall of our beautiful daughter Lee Beth she was a child when this picture was taken and I was just thinking wow her future I was just thinking about that and I was just thinking about what if before she popped the top she would have really considered her future This is serious stuff. You see, the enemy wants you to be filled with other substances.

16:49 The enemy does not want you to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Did you know that? That's why so many of you are doing the pushback when I talked about having a dry April. Last weekend I said, would you join us in having a dry April? And I've already heard people going, oh no, man, not me. I'm not into that. If you said that, you have a drinking problem. Just straight up. if you have to say, well, I got to cut back, you have a drinking issue.

17:22 I'm not saying you're a full-blown alcoholic, but I'm saying put that warning sticker on that. This stuff is potent and powerful. And don't you love the way the advertisers, they make these cans and bottles so sexy looking. They look so much better than soft drinks or mineral water. Look at that. Budweiser, king of beers. And I love the way these alcohol companies only give you about that much of alcohol.

17:56 They don't talk about the millions and millions of lives who were ruined each and every day because of it. They don't talk to you about the divorce, the carnage, the fragmented families. They don't talk to you about that. But we gladly write all these checks to insurance companies and pay these taxes and we're paying for them and they are laughing all the way to the bank. 1.7 billion a year is spent trying to get you, young people, you, you, you. Just, just, just pop the top. It's okay. You can handle it.

18:41 The decision. What's your decision going to be? Again, don't mishear me. We have the freedom, the liberty to drink in moderation. But you're messing with fire. Fire is great when it's controlled, but that quick. Look what happened in California. Look what happened in Maui a while back. let's look at the direction that alcohol takes us. The direction is found, I read the verse earlier, in Proverbs 23, 20 through 21. It says, isn't this interesting? Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat. For drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

19:45 1 Corinthians 10, 14, therefore, my dear friends, flee, flee from idolatry. What is idolatry? This is idolatry. Idolatry is putting anything, anyone above God.

20:08 And that's why the devil enjoys it when we drink too much because when we're filled with this stuff, we cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. the direction. Have you ever noticed these little things that connect, you know, beers that connect to six pack?

20:37 They're really interesting because they're just strong enough to pick it up with my index finger. Yet, that quick, boom, look at that. It comes out. I've got to ask you, this is a very hard question. Who's your six-pack? How do you spell relational relief? take your six pack and put them against the backdrop of this 66 pack, the word of God. You should be clapping, but see, you don't know. The Bible has 66 books in it. Oh, we can clap more than that.

21:30 Come on. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? You're not going to clap for that? Give me a break. You know why he had a hard time clapping for it? Because your six pack is messing your life up the immorality,

21:59 the language, the places they take you, and the decisions they encourage you to make. I've been around this stuff a lot. I've now lived a sheltered life. You play with this, you're going to pay the piper, my friend. sometime? No, I hate to say it, every time.

22:28 Do you know how many instances I've had in my life where I've asked people about drugs, drinking, vaping, et cetera? I've asked them, okay, okay, okay, okay. Let's go back. When did it start for you? What was the moment? and they go, well, I had these friends. I had these friends.

22:56 You're not going to change them. Yeah, but they're my fraternity brothers. You're not gonna change them. They're my foursome that I gamble with. You're not gonna change them. They're the girls I walk with. You're not gonna change them. You've got to flee. You've got to get away from it. And you've got to find the right six pack in your life. And the right six pack in your life is gonna say, hey, get your butt to church. Hey, why did you say that? Hey, spend time with your spouse. If they're not, that's why you didn't clap. You were the wrong six-pack.

23:41 Now, Ed, where do I find that? Right here? And I'm not saying everybody here is the right six-pack. Because we have a lot of people who aren't, a lot of people in different stages of development. but I'm going to tell you from this stage you need to think about this this issue it's it's the relational noun that I've written about for so many years what's a noun a person place or thing the six-pack the wrong six-pack will take you the wrong person to the wrong place and you'll end up doing the wrong thing. On the other hand, the right six pack, what will they do? They're going to be the right people to take you to the right place and to do the right thing. I mean, let's just be specific here.

24:38 The wrong six-pack is going to treat weekends like, oh boy, it's a holiday. No, it's not a holiday. It's a time on Sunday to worship the Lord Jesus. The right six-pack is going to go, you know what? God has blessed me. He has blessed me. And I'm here to bless the church. and I'll tell you something else friends it'll never happen for you until you begin to tithe it will not happen you can run around and say you're filled with the Holy Spirit and go to this church or that church and you can take this conference or that conference if you do not bring the minimum worship requirement of the tithe it will never happen for you See, this Christianity is not weak stuff.

25:36 It's not for quiche eaters. It's not for softies. But sadly, our church has made it for softies. We have soft pastors leading soft people on how to be softer. And just the opposite is true. Jesus was and is a man's man. And he talked in love and honor and grace like we want to. but he told the truth. My friend, I'm going to tell you the truth. I'm going to tell you the truth. We have the decision. That's the unopened beer. We have the direction. That's the plastic ring of influence.

26:28 You know something that's interesting? I spend a lot of time around the water. These are deadly, for example, to wildlife. Did you know that? and people who were smart, you know, cut them up and put them away. They obviously don't toss them into the water, but they're also deadly in another way too. Isn't that true? Yeah. Okay, let's look at the decline now. The decision, the direction, the decline. We're still in Proverbs 23, 30. It says, those who linger over wine, linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. That's the person that stays around alcohol and drink in the partying atmosphere. That's what that means.

27:22 It means students running with the crowd that does that, if you feel me. The decline is, I call it a half empty beer. You knew I was going to open this beer up, didn't you? Beer is like any alcohol or any substance. It's very smooth. It's very subtle, you know. pour it oh yeah silent yet seductive and you pour it and some people have the ability to drink this stop but again i've got to ask you can you glorify god when you're doing this i've got to ask you are you causing a weaker brother or sister to stumble when you drink this are you thinking about the context when you drink this yet what happens is We pour it out and pour it out and pour it out.

28:43 And, you know, we're just sort of half empty. It's that silent and seductive slow progression. This stuff right here fascinates and assassinates. the decline.

29:05 Well, Ed, are you saying every person? No, I'm not saying every person discovers this or does this. But I'm saying a lot do and a lot more than the stats reveal. I can tell you that. There's a fourth aspect to this. After the decision, the direction, the decline, there is the disaster.

29:36 It can lead, and that's what Lisa and I have experienced, to disaster. the buzz becomes just a baseline of living. It's just the way I roll. Proverbs 23, 32, and 34 says, in the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.

30:01 Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind will imagine confusing things. Isn't that the truth? You'll be like one sleeping on the high seas lying on top of the rigging. you take the spear you open it and it begins to shake you doesn't it because what's on the inside comes out, and it just shakes you. It shakes you. And then you think you have it under control. You think everything is hunky-dory. You think you're skipping down the primrose path when all of a sudden... That's one of my favorite suits.

31:01 It spills. Remember I told you earlier, alcohol is not just a personal decision. And some of you know what I'm talking about. It's spilled on your life because of what your spouse has done. It's spilled over in your career. It's just out of control. Man, I don't want to smell like beer. I'm afraid I will. I just made a mess.

31:50 Have you ever thought about the cross is a mess? I don't care what kind of mess you're in. I don't care how much you've spilled whatever in your life. Jesus wants to come to you because he spilled his blood on the cross for your sins. And he will take anyone, anyone, anyone and revolutionize their lives. the deficit. This is the last thing we need to see in Proverbs 23 that will teach us about the Lord. Proverbs 23, 35. They hit me, you'll say, but I'm not hurt. They beat me, but I don't feel it.

32:45 When will I wake up so I can find another drink? Whoa. So you drink, and you drink, and you drink, and you drink. Your life. is empty. But then you fill it back up again, then your life is empty. Then you fill it back up again, your life is empty. What do I do, Ed? My life is empty. Well, the Bible tells me, and the Bible tells you, that God wants to pour living water in your life, in your can, in your bottle.

33:59 the living water of the Holy Spirit of God. And the Bible says in John 10, 10, Jesus said these words, I've come that you might have life and have it abundantly. That word abundance means overflowing. that's the kind of life that God has for you. And I don't care where you are or what you've done or how far away you think you are. God wants to fill your life and he'll do it if you just ask him. I mean we have faith in every other area how about just directing your faith to God and saying God fill me I don't want to be drunk with wine I want to be drunk with the Holy Spirit of God would you pray and I'm going to ask you if you would to find a place to kneel if you could you know kneeling is a physical act of worship before the Lord and we're going to kneel together as a church, and let's go to the Lord in prayer.

35:26 Father, some of us here are like, man, I don't have a problem, but you know down deep, the Holy Spirit is convicting you, and he's whispering to you, yes, you have an issue. others of us here are, maybe we're younger, and we're considering partaking in beverage alcohol.

35:58 Holy Spirit, speak to us. There's a group here, and you obviously have excessive drinking, and alcoholism in your life. As I said earlier, maybe a lot of people don't know, but now is your time. It's time for all of us to empty our lives. and to ask God to pour into our lives, into every crevice, every area, his precious Holy Spirit, the living water that always satisfies, that never leaves us empty.

36:55 Holy Spirit, infiltrate our lives. we open the lid of our lives up fill us now in Jesus name we pray