Preface:
-The Berean Challenge [Acts 17:10-12]- The Berean were avid students of the scriptures, examining them to see if Paul’s teaching was fitting to the Word of God. It was. And we should follow their example whenever we go to Bible study, listen to a sermon, go to Sunday school, or receive “wise” counsel from a friend.
Intro:
John the Baptizer’s:
-Compliment from Jesus – [Matthew 11:7-11]
-Message – [John 1:29, 37]
John 1:35-51
-Jesus’ Followers – Andrew, John (?), Philip, Nathanael
-Relational networks – who has God put in your proximity? Think about family, friends, co-workers, and people from your hometown
-Kevin Bacon, Paul Revere, and Fidel Castro - Where has God strategically placed you? Don’t forget, you are six degrees and a prayer from anyone in the world.
-Evangelism: 2 Guys + Jesus + Dinner + 2000 years = 1+ billion Christians
John 2:1-9
-Wedding in Cana
-Jesus & his mom (aka “Woman”) – [John 19:26]
-Jesus the Master Brewer: Christians and Alcohol
-Three Positions:
1. Alcohol is evil
2. Abstinence
3. Moderation & Deference-Key Points and Verses:
- Submit to Authority – (Government, School, etc.) [Rom 13:1-7]
- Drunkenness – Sinful and foolish [Eph. 5: 8b-21; Prov. 23:29-35]
- Alcohol’s Origin – God made the vine for our consumption [Gen 1:29-31]
- Goodness of Wine – God made the vine? Did we abuse it in making wine from the grapes? No, wine is shown in Scripture as a good thing and used symbolically to show God’s great blessings poured out [Eccl. 10:19; Ps. 104:15; Amos 9:11-15]
- What to do??? Act with wisdom, drawing on the principles of [Rom. 13:8-14:23] which emphasizes loving our brother (be he weak or strong) and not causing them to stumble, giving up our freedoms whenever our brother’s conscience is at stake.Points to Ponder:
1. What did Jesus do? What was Paul’s position? What did Timothy drink? Is it wise to make prohibitions that were not followed by the Sinless Savior and such great men of the church? [Matt. 11:19, 1 Tim. 5:23]
2. Is Universal Abstinence Wise?
-Alcohol can be very dangerous, leading to the sins of drunkenness, abuse, neglect, abandonment of children, etc, there is no denying that.
-Should we, therefore, abandon what God has said to be a great blessing to the hearts of his people?
-If so…what about women? What about food? What about money (for the love of money is the root of all evil [1 Tim. 6:10])?
-It seems that we should teach wisdom, not abstinence, as the approach to Christian use of alcohol (as well as women, food, and money).(Thoughts? Leave your comment below)
-Point of this Passage: Jesus is the merciful miracle worker and worthy of glory, we should respond to the one who “manifested his glory” (which only God can do) with fear, worship, adoration, and obedience.
