I. Introduction - Let’s Discuss Alcohol
A. Our Culture Loves It
- Alcohol is everywhere in our culture
- It is celebrated and promoted
- It is considered normal and even sophisticated
B. So Many Opinions, So Many Voices
- Christians vary greatly on this topic
- Most allow for moderate drinking
- “Jesus turned water into wine at Cana”
- “Jesus drank wine at the Last Supper”
C. It’s My Turn (from the Bible) to Speak Up
- I have studied this issue carefully from the Word of God
- I have seen the destruction alcohol causes up close
- I have a responsibility to speak the truth
D. Drinking Alcohol is a Serious Issue
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” - 1 Corinthians 6:9,10
- a. Fornication
- b. Idolatry
- c. Adultery
- d. Effeminacy
- e. Homosexuality
- f. Theft
- g. Covetousness
- h. Drunkenness
- i. Reviling
- j. Extortion
E. You Can and Need to Walk Away from Alcohol
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” - 1 Corinthians 6:11
- You were washed
- You were sanctified
- You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
- You have been set free from these things
- Walk in that freedom
- Don’t return to the chains that once held you
- You have the power of God available to you
- The Holy Spirit lives in you
- You can say NO
- Make the decision today
II. Background
A. What Happened with Noah? Review
“And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.” - Genesis 9:20-23
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Noah Planted a Vineyard
- He deliberately chose to grow grapes
- He knew what wine was
- He had access to fermented wine
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Noah Got Drunk
a. A Private Failure
“And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.” - Genesis 9:21
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There are two kinds of wine in the Bible: i. Fresh new wine — grape juice, not fermented ii. Fermented old wine — intoxicating, what Noah drank iii. The word “wine” in the Bible is a general term that covers both iv. Context determines which is meant v. Some places wine is a blessing (new wine) vi. Some places wine is a curse (old fermented wine) vii. You have to study the context carefully
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Fermentation:
- Yeast occurs naturally on grape skins
- When grapes are crushed, yeast begins converting sugars to alcohol
- Left alone, grape juice ferments within days
- The longer it ferments, the stronger the alcohol content
- Noah knew exactly what he was drinking
- He chose to get drunk
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He became intoxicated
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He stripped off his clothes
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He lay naked in his tent
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What a sight!
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He didn’t intend to get this drunk — like trying different mushrooms, he didn’t realise how potent it was
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But it was still a failure of wisdom
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Noah’s failure should have stopped there — but Ham saw it and exposed it
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Noah’s drunkenness affected Ham and his children for 10+ generations
B. There Are Two Kinds of Wines
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The word “wine” is a general term — it covers both fermented and unfermented
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Fresh new wine — unfermented grape juice
“And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.” - Luke 5:37,38
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Fermented old wine
“No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.” - Luke 5:39
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“Strong drink” — Proverbs 20:1
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God’s blessings come through new wine
“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” - Proverbs 3:9,10
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Jesus drank new wine — unfermented grape juice at the Last Supper
“But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” - Matthew 26:27-29
- He called it “the fruit of the vine” — not wine
- He said He would drink it NEW in the kingdom
- The new wine is pure, unfermented
C. Eight Reasons the Pastor and His Wife Don’t Drink
- It doesn’t take much to become intoxicated
- Alcohol is toxic — it is a poison
- It is no longer necessary medicinally
- It is desperately addictive
- Your body is not your own
- You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit instead
- It sets a bad example
- It is wise to abstain
III. Message
A. Why No Christian Should Drink Alcohol
1. Doesn’t take much to become intoxicated
a. One drink begins to affect your brain b. You cannot always predict your tolerance c. What works for someone else may devastate you d. You may have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism e. The first drink is the most dangerous one you’ll ever take f. You don’t know how YOU will respond g. “Just one” has destroyed millions of people h. The safest amount is none
2. Alcohol is toxic — it is a poison
a. Paul says “use” not “drink” — 1 Timothy 5:23 is about medical use, not social drinking
b. Alcohol hurts the drinker
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.” - Proverbs 23:29,30
- Woe and sorrow
- Contention and strife
- Babbling and foolish talk
- Wounds without cause — injuries from accidents
- Bloodshot red eyes
- Seeking more and more
- Your appearance, your health, your relationships
c. Hurts those around the drinker:
- Children of alcoholics suffer lasting trauma
- Wives of alcoholics live in fear and anxiety
- Employers lose billions in productivity
- Hospitals overflow with alcohol-related injuries
- Roads become killing grounds
- Entire families are destroyed
d. Cost to the State is astronomical
- €14 billion in Ireland in 2024
- That is the cost of alcohol to Irish society alone
- Healthcare, crime, lost productivity, social services
e. How Alcohol Causes Damage — the science:
- Alcohol converts to acetaldehyde in the body
- Acetaldehyde damages DNA
- Causes liver disease and cirrhosis
- Damages brain and mental health
- Cardiovascular effects — 474,000 deaths in 2019 linked to alcohol
- Liver disease and cirrhosis major causes of death
- Cancer risk — alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen (definitely causes cancer)
f. Global Picture:
- 7% of the world’s population has alcohol use disorders
- 2.6 million deaths attributed to alcohol in 2019
g. WHO Position:
- The World Health Organisation states there is NO safe level of alcohol consumption
- Not even one glass
- Not even occasionally
h. Alcohol costs more than it helps
“He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.” - Proverbs 21:17
i. Beware of its effects — they are real and they are serious
3. No longer necessary medicinally
“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.” - Luke 10:30-34
- The Good Samaritan poured wine and oil on wounds — wine was used as an antiseptic
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“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” - 1 Timothy 5:23
- Paul told Timothy to USE a little wine for his stomach — medicinal application, not social drinking
- In the past, whisky was used in surgeries as an anaesthetic when nothing else was available
- We now have modern medicine — antibiotics, anaesthetics, proper wound care
- There are no health benefits to moderate drinking
- Multiple recent studies have disproven the “moderate drinking is healthy” myth
- And it is still a cancer risk no matter how little you drink
4. Desperately addictive
“Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.” - Proverbs 23:31-35
- It bites like a serpent
- It stings like an adder
- Stanford Medicine research confirms: alcohol activates the same reward pathways as other addictive drugs
- A 2024 cancer research report confirmed alcohol causes at least 7 types of cancer
- Once hooked, almost impossible to break free without supernatural help
- “I will seek it yet again” — the addict’s cry even after suffering its consequences
5. Your body is not yours
“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.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19,20
- Your body belongs to God
- He paid for it with the blood of His Son
- You are stewards of this body, not owners
- Be thoughtful and prayerful about what you put into it
- We are a peculiar people — set apart, different, holy
- What you put in your body matters to God
6. Need to be filled with Holy Spirit instead
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” - Ephesians 5:15-18
- You cannot mix alcohol and the Holy Spirit
- One will crowd out the other
- “BE NOT” means it is a choice — you choose what fills you
- No wonder the world advertises “wines and SPIRITS” — they are in the same category!
- The Holy Spirit gives you all that alcohol promises but can never deliver — joy, peace, boldness, community
- Be filled with the Spirit instead
7. Drinking sets a bad example
“For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 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.” - Romans 14:20,21
- You may think you can handle it
- But you are setting an example for others
- Someone watching you may not be able to handle it
- Someone just out of addiction sees you drink and thinks it’s OK
- A young person sees their role model drinking and follows
- Christians CAN exercise liberty, but that liberty causes others to fall
- Love your brother more than you love your liberty
8. Because it is Wise to Abstain
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” - 1 Corinthians 6:12
- This is not just about legality or liberty
- This is about wisdom
- Stay away from anything that can bring you under its power
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“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8
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“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But 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.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8
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“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” - Titus 2:11,12
- The best choice is total abstinence
- Wisdom says: don’t even start