Redeeming Food & Drink

  • Sam Ford
  • May 11, 2008
  • Series: Redemption

Food & Drink

May 11, 2008

Sam Ford

 

Whatever you do...

1Corinth. 10.31whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

 

Those who don't know Jesus

The pastors of Damascus Road have two hopes for those who find there way to our church.  For those who do not know Jesus, we pray that you will recognize him as Lord and receive him as Savior.  You're welcome to belong and participate until you put your faith in Jesus and we don't expect you to behave until you do.  As we try not offend you (even if Jesus does) or confuse you we realize that God's truth is both offensive and foolish to those who don't believe.    

 

Those who don't know mission

For those who do know Jesus, whether it is for 20 minutes or 20 years, we pray that your dead or rootless faith will experience a resurrection.  Specifically, one of our aims is to convince you that the purpose of our lives is to magnify God-to bring Him glory in ALL that you do.  God said in Isaiah 43.7 that we were created for his glory.   Glorifying God means infinitely more than gathering on Sunday mornings to worship.  Unfortunately, we have a tendency to live in such a way that we take 6 days for ourselves and give God 1...hour.  God wants all  7 days and all 168 hours all the time .  This will force us to avoid dividing our lives into spiritual and non-spiritual categories to the extent that we aim to bring honor to God through even through what we eat, and drink, and do all the time. 

 

Today's sermon is titled "Redeeming Food & Drink," meaning we are going to talk about beer and buffalo wings.    At the same time, I don't want to narrow our focus to "eating and drinking" but expand it to Paul's admonition to consider "whatever you do."  We do a lot, and much of what we do is rooted in self-glory as opposed to God's.  But, food and drink are very easy to use as a starting point because they are two gifts from God that are commonly perverted and demonized.  In other words, we have a ton of people to drink too much and eat too much indulging to a sinful excess AND a ton of people arguing that it is holier to abstain from both. 

 

The first question is whether or not this issue sinful or cultural? 

Since we began the church, we've had what some would characterize as "edgy" activities.   We never intended to be edgy, but to we didn't want to separate our lives into spiritual activities and non-spiritual activities. With our men, we've organized poker nights, created humorous ads, and brewed beer to the glory of God AND to the dismay of some who have come, gone, and stayed.  So, I received a lot of emails, had a number of conversations, and whenever I entertain a discussion about this particular issue, I always like to establish a few ground rules.  First, and foremost, we always need to determine whether the disdain is about something in culture that is sinful or whether it is something morally neutral? In other words, are we talking about an issue rooted in God's preference or a personal preference?  

  • If something is, according to the Bible, explicitly or implicitly sinful, it is wrong and foolish to discuss whether or not we should participate in it. (premarital sex, drunkenness, adultery, etc.) These things are not wrong because they have "bad consequences", they are wrong because God says they are wrong period end of discussion. Clearly, God is not glorified in sin although he can take that which is sinful and use it for His glory.
  • If, however, something is not plainly forbidden or commanded, then perhaps we are talking about a cultural practice where we will be required to discern whether it is more or less glorifying to God to abstain from or partake in that part of God's creation. Paul tells us in Romans 14.1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
  • At the same time, we must realize that just because the Bible says we CAN do something or DOES NOT FORBID us to do something, doesn't mean would should participate in it. A life that is glorifying to God is a life of self-denial, avoiding the sin of self-righteousness and self-indulgence.
  • A life of Self-denial is not a life denying oneself of pleasure for a holier monastic life without true joy. It may ask you to deny pleasure because it's a life less about "my right all the time" and more about "what is right in the moment."

 

What does it mean to be sinful versus just sin?

We must be careful about focusing only on the SINS (behaviors) lest we forget SIN (our nature).  We sin when we break God's commands, but we can also sin by using the Bible to justify our RIGHT to do something that is still not loving, gracious, or glorifying God in.  The essence of sin is when we refuse to live for God's glory and instead seek our own importance, purpose, and meaning in other things.  Theologian and author J.I. Packer writes, What is... sin's essence? Playing God... acting as if you, and your pleasure, were the end to which all things, God included, must be made to function as a means.  In other words, we use everything, even God and His Word, to get what we want.  The sin within us has the potential to warp, pervert, and overindulge in ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. 

 

What does the Bible, not you, say about alcohol? 

The Bible has a lot to say about alcohol because it appears to be one of those easily or commonly abused parts of creation.  I realize that as I talk about this, I run the risk of sounding like I'm minimizing the destructive power of alcohol abuse.  I'm not; I've experienced the destruction wrought by its abuse first hand.  That hard part about having conversations about such destructive things is that they generally degenerate into some sort of storytelling argument rooted in personal experience.  It's essential that, even if our practices are rooted in personal experience (what we think/feel), our positions are rooted in biblical truth (what God has said).   

 

Our goal is to determine not what we think about alcohol but what God thinks.  I do believe that the process by which you determine your position on alcohol is indicative of how we will respond to a multiplicity of cultural issues. It is not so important WHAT we decide but HOW we decide it.  That being said, the Bible's position on alcohol is very clear. In summary it states:

  • 1. Jesus made wine. John 2
  • 2. Jesus drank wine. Matt. 11.19
  • 3. Jesus will be drinking in heaven (with us?) Matt. 26.29, Luke 22.17,30
  • 4. Liberty must not be abused. 1Cor 8.9, Gal 5.12, 1Peter 2.16
  • 5. Drunkenness is sin. Proverbs 23.20-21, 29-35, Romans 13.13, Gal 5.19-21, Eph 5.18
  • 6. We are free to drink alcohol in moderation (self control). 1Cor 6.12
  • 7. God can be glorified in drinking. 1Cor 10.31

 

Specifically, in the Old Testament:

Then Melchizadek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.  Genesis 14.18 Wine for ceremony.

 

He causes the grass to grow for cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man's hearts. Psalm 104.14-15 Wine for Pleasure.

 

You shall truly tithe...you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: oxen or sheep, for wine or strong drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.  Deut. 14.22a, 26  Wine for Tithing.

 

According to Romans 14.14, alcohol is in itself clean, meaning it is part of Christian liberty and could even be considered a gift from God just as food, sex, or another part of creation.

 

How has the world perverted food, alcohol, and everything we do?

Without question, alcohol, like food, sex, the internet, and many other created things are abused by many. 

  • Approximately 14 million people (1 in 13) in the United States are addicted to alcohol or abuse alcohol.
  • Abuse of Alcohol is a factor in nearly half of America's murders, suicides and accidental deaths In 2006, 41% of all traffic fatalities were alcohol-related fatalities (NHTSA)
  • Non-alcoholic members of alcoholic's families use 10 times as much sick leave as families where alcohol is not a problem. 80% of these family members report their ability to perform work is impaired as a result of living with an alcohol abuser.
  • More than three fourths of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence reported that their assailant had been drinking or using drugs.
  • 95% of alcoholics die from their disease and die approximately 26 years earlier than their normal life expectancy.

 

This shouldn't surprise us as God warns us of the dangers that come with abusing alcohol (Prov. 23.31-32, Isaiah 28.7-8) and explicitly prohibits drunkenness (Eph. 5.18).  In Romans 1, God's passive wrath is evident-he let's us go and get what we want.  Both His warnings AND the evidence of what happens to those who don't heed is enough for us to know how powerful the abuse of this gift is. 

 

How has the church demonized alcohol?

I do not bring up these statistics to scare people from drinking.  We mustn't forget that the potential to abuse did not prevent Jesus (our perfect example) from using it without sinning.   BUT, we often make the mistake of ignoring the heart issue and focusing on the perverted behavior as the culprit.  People abuse alcohol so they demonize alcohol.  People abuse their money, so we demonize gambling. People abuse the internet, so we demonize the internet.  People also abuse women and children, but hopefully we're not going to demonize them.   

 

Instead of equipping the church to make decisions, our churches and denominations often make the decisions for them.  In essence, they take a look at the world and see what things it has perverted, alcohol, card games, movies and take positions against them.  Even though sin can affect any and all things, they typically pick and choose what parts of creation they feel are the worst, ignoring others that are just as bad.  For example, there are churches who have signed commitments against alcohol for their elders but would recoil at the idea of publishing their personal diets.  You get my point.  

 

Isn't it always "better" or "holier" to abstain as an example?

Many people believe that avoiding those things in culture that have been abused is the best way to redeem those things.  In reality, there isn't any redemption going on.  Instead, those people who believe that EVERYONE should abstain have in fact declared that part of creation lost and are resigned to leave it in slavery for everybody.  Usually, this is the result of their personal experience.  An email I received indicated such a perspective:

 

A couple of weeks ago my son and daughter in law visited your church. They are great Christian kids who have a real desire to honor God in their lives and are seeking a church that is a good fit for them. I asked her if they liked the church and she said "it was good". She liked the message, said that the music was a little wild for her but not bad. There was one thing that really bothered her, and that was the brewery party for the men.  She comes from a home that was destroyed by drinking.  So she was very offended by a church party were the very thing that destroyed her home would be celebrated. I know that amongst Christians there are a lot of opinions on the subject, but I just wanted to let you know that there are some who want to live a life abstaining from that and when the church not only won't stand against it, but promotes it some will be very hurt  by that.

 

First, no one is celebrating the abuse of alcohol.  I know of homes that have been destroyed by alcohol addiction, food addiction, pornography addiction, and even work addiction.  The reality is that SIN through these things is what destroyed these homes.  Even if we ban ALL of these things, it will not ensure godliness.  If we refuse to talk about things like alcohol or sex in church, then we'll simply having people abusing alcohol and sex who refuse to talk about it with you.  Yet, many believe that avoiding those things that have been abused is the "best" way to glorify God.  I agree, for those who have a weakness for something, it is more WISE and more GOD-GLORIFYING to exercise self-control and avoid.  

 

Christians have different opinions, but pastors should set an example.

I don't disagree that pastors and churches should set an example, I guess we'd disagree on exactly what example that is. The Bible uses the phrase "above reproach" (1Timothy 3.2, Titus 1.6-7) as an elder qualification.  I think this phrase has been misinterpreted to mean something other than what Paul or God intended.  Consider the fact that in the Greek, the word for "reproach" means -- blameless; not to be called into account.  If we define the term to mean blameless, or as the English dictionaries indicate, above criticism, then we could understand above reproach to mean that your behavior is godly enough to be completely free of accusation from anyone either in or outside the church.

 

Strangely, in the gospels, Jesus doesn't appear to be overly concerned with being above reproach according to that definition, at least not in front of those who accuse him without cause-an accusation not based in truth but motivated by sin.  In fact, Jesus was accused of:

  • Keeping Bad Company - Matt 9.11
  • Gluttony and Drunkenness - Matt 11.19
  • Blasphemy - Matt 26.65
  • Insanity - Mark 3.21
  • Being Possessed by a Demon - Jn 7.20
  • Breaking the Sabbath - Jn 9.16
  • Treason - Jn 19.12

 


Why wasn't Jesus worried about these accusations?  A cursory examination of his life of ministry reveals how foolishly he fellowshipped with sinners, going so far as to eat and drink with them! Yes, isn't He our best example of being "above reproach?"  Being above reproach then must have less to do with appearances and more to do with the truth concerning the accused and the context in which the accusation comes.   Without question, we want to take steps to avoid and protect ourselves from sin.  But Paul writes in Colossians 2.20-23 how taking steps like this in fact projects a false appearance and does little to solve the root problem:

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations---Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch (referring to things that all perish as they are used)-according to human precepts and teachings?  These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (ESV)

 

Walking the line between Self-Righteousness and Self-Indulgence.

We walk the line between Self-Righteousness and Self-Indulgence.  The line of self-denial means that your life purpose is to bring glory to God as opposed to self.  That means that as we make cultural decisions about what we eat, what we drink, what we wear, where we work, how we spend our money, and may in fact require that we deny ourselves by putting up fences or taking some down.   Stop making lists of behaviors, and start aligning your entire life with God. 

 (Adapted from M.Driscoll's Cultural Decison Making Radical Reformission)

•1.      Is this helpful to me personally?

1Cor 6.12a 12  "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.

 

We cannot glorify God if what we do causes me harm.  The "right" to something doesn't make it helpful, beneficial, or constructive to one's person physically, emotionally, spiritually. True liberty demands responsibility.  Freedom without discernment becomes recklessness.  At the same time, pleasure is not sin.  There are many things that we don't need and there is no sin in delighting in the creation of God. 

 

•2.      Am I promoting the good of others around me, or just being selfish?  

1Cor 10.23-24 23  "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

 

We cannot glorify God if the exercise of our freedom tears someone down.  Our freedom must be regulated by a love for others NOT just avoidance of harm.  At the same time, don't assume we agree on what is most loving or what causes harm (Rom 14.1).

 

•3.      Will this cause someone whom I know weak and who is in my presence to sin?

1Cor 8.9-10 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?

 

We cannot glorify God by causing another Christian to fall into sin. Cultural decision-making should always include a discussion about the weaker brother.  Paul plainly discusses this concern when he writes in1Cor 8.9-10. He further discusses the issue in Romans 14 where he explains the importance of letting love compel all of your cultural decisions.

 

Romans 14.21 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble Obviously, Paul is concerned with being a "stumbling-block" for other weaker Christians.  The concern I have is that many take the charge to protect the weaknesses of a fellow brother in a particular situation and generalize to all situations.  We have a responsibility to those around us whom we know are weak.  It's unreasonable for me to consider every eye at a Restaurant and believe they are watching me drink a beer.  But it's not unreasonable for me to know.  But the addict will lie...then they lie.

 

A position like this that applies the particular to the general assumes three things:

(1) That drinking in front of others will always have a negative impact

(2) It is impossible, if only unlikely, that one can exercise self-control

(3) Jesus must have been, at the very least, insensitive to the sinners He drank with and those around Him.  I believe that a position "universal absentia" not only works against the same liberty Jesus practiced, it communicates an inaccurate understanding of the cross as the source of our righteousness and the hope for behavioral change.  The gospel freed us from such pursuits because there is nothing we can do or cannot do to please God or change people. 

 

•4.      Will this break any laws of the land?

Romans 13.1-7 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

 

We cannot glorify God by breaking laws of our city, state, or nation. (until you're 21, there is no discussion.  When you're 21, you have the "right" but there are a few other questions to ask.)

 

•5.      Will I lose self-control and be mastered by this? 

1Cor 6.12 12  "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.

 

We cannot glorify God by addiction and enslavement to sin.  We must never adopt an "I can handle it," mentality.  That is the first evidence of pride which is the last step before falling on your face.  Temptation to sin is not sin.  Jesus was tempted but he did not sin.  We must we diligent to protect ourselves from self-indulgence or self-righteousness.  We do this by living a life of self-denial.  1Cor 9.27  I discipline my body and keep it under control...disqualified

 

•6.      Will I miss an opportunity to share the gospel? 

1Cor 10.27-30 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience- 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

 

We cannot glorify God if we're not always on mission.. There is a sense in which we must ask ourselves if partaking of an aspect of culture OR not, will in fact do more to gain a hearing.  We make decisions moment by moment.  We do not partake every time because we can.  We do not abstain every time because we can't.  We discern every time because we must as a benefit to the gospel.

•7.      Can I do this to the glory of God?

1Cor10.31-33 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

 

We cannot glorify God when we're more concerned with glorifying ourselves or something else.  By glorify God, I mean, to magnify the greatness and beauty that is God.  If your participation is not glorifying God, then, it is most likely self-glorifying or another form of idolatry.  This doesn't mean you have to sing hymns as you have a beer or only get crosses as tattoos.  I believe it demands we ask whether what we're doing every moment of our lives is driven by a desire to make God's greatness, magnificence, holiness, excellence, power, sufficiency, grace, mercy, beauty and character known...if not, it is sinful.

 

•8.      Can I do this with a clear conscience?

Romans 13.5  5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

 

We cannot glorify God when we cannot participate joyfully without doubt.  Your choice to exercise your liberty is not bound by anyone's conscience, nor should your conscience bind anyone else's.  Think of the conscience as "self-knowledge."  Other than God, no one knows you better than you.  Without Jesus, your conscience is governed by your sinful desires.   When you are redeemed, your conscience is freed from sin and informed by the Holy Spirit. It will then lead you to conclude what is best for you even if it means you don't participate in what you have the "right" to do.  (Romans 7 speaks of this struggle and Galatians 6 describes it as a conflict)

 

•9.      Am I imitating the example of Jesus Christ?

1Cor 11.1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

 

We cannot glorify God if we are trying to require more than Jesus did.  People like to ask WWJD, until the answer is something they don't want to do.  Let's be honest about who Jesus.  He wasn't drinking fermented grape juice and he didn't live less than a life as a real human that I can emulate.

 

CONCLUSION

10.  Does my participation of this proceed from faith in Jesus?

Romans 14.23 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

 

That which does not proceed in faith is sin.

For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. If your decision to partake, abstain, participate, or not participate does not begin with a relationship with God, it is sin.   Most of us make our decisions by what someone has decided for us or what is most convenient.  It is not essential that our positions on doctrine or other issues need necessarily always be rationally or emotionally satisfying to everyone, as long our positions are unapologetically biblical and glorifying to God.  It is not essential that we gain men's approval or avoid their disapproval, rather, that God is honored by our decisions. 

 

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