Preaching on Drunkenness: The truth about drunkenness from God's Word
Today, we turn our attention to a serious and pervasive issue that has plagued humanity throughout history and continues to inflict great harm in our society: Drunkenness. It’s a topic the Bible addresses with clarity and strong warnings, revealing its true nature and dire consequences.
In a world that often normalizes or even glorifies the excessive consumption of alcohol, it is vital for us as Christians to understand God's perspective on this matter. We must be sober-minded and vigilant, guarding our hearts and minds against the deceptive allure of this sin.
Let us examine the truth about drunkenness from God's Word.
-- Ads --
I. Drunkenness Is Sin
The Bible consistently and unequivocally identifies drunkenness as sin, directly contrary to God's will for His people.
A. Do not get drunk with wine (Ephesians 5:18): This is a direct command from the Apostle Paul: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." The contrast is clear: one leads to dissolute living, the other to spiritual vitality.
B. It is a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21): Paul lists drunkenness among the "works of the flesh," characteristics of a life lived apart from the Holy Spirit. He warns, "I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
C. It is the desire of the Gentiles who do not know God (1 Peter 4:3): Peter reminds believers that they have spent enough time living like those who don't know God: "For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry." Drunkenness is characteristic of a life lived without Christ.
D. Drunkards will not enter the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10): This is a sobering warning. Paul is explicit: "nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." The practice of drunkenness, unrepented and unabandoned, places one outside the inheritance of God's kingdom.
E. Drunkards cannot be elders of the church (1 Timothy 3:2, 8): When listing qualifications for church leaders, both elders and deacons, Paul specifies they must not be "given to much wine" (or, in modern translations, "not addicted to wine," "not a drunkard"). This underscores the serious nature of drunkenness as disqualifying for spiritual leadership.
F. We should not engage in drunkenness (Romans 13:13): Paul urges believers to "walk properly, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy." It is a behavior unbecoming of a follower of Christ.
II. Drunkenness Leads to Other Sins
Beyond being a sin in itself, drunkenness acts as a gateway, weakening our self-control and judgment, thereby leading to a cascade of other destructive behaviors.
A. To losing one's mind (Hosea 4:11): "Whoring, wine and new wine take away the understanding." Excessive alcohol consumption dulls the mind, impairs judgment, and removes the ability to think clearly and make righteous decisions.
B. Sorrows (Proverbs 21:17; 23:21): "Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich." And "for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags." Drunkenness leads to poverty, regret, and deep-seated sorrows.
C. Disputes (Proverbs 23:29-30): "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, those who go to sample bowls of mixed wine." Alcohol often fuels arguments, anger, and contention.
D. Pain and wounds (Proverbs 23:29): The same verse highlights that physical pain and unexplained wounds are often a result of drunken behavior, whether from falls, fights, or general recklessness.
E. They do shameful things (Isaiah 28:8): The prophet Isaiah warns, "All the tables are covered with vomit and filth; there is not a spot without filth." Drunkenness leads to debauchery, loss of dignity, and engagement in morally degrading and shameful acts.
F. They despise God's work (Isaiah 5:11-12): "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till wine inflames them. They have harps and lyres, tambourines and pipes, choirs and wine at their feasts, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands." Those consumed by drink often lose their spiritual sensitivity, becoming oblivious and indifferent to God's mighty acts and His divine purposes.
III. Examples of People Who Got Drunk
The Bible provides numerous sobering examples of individuals whose lives were negatively impacted by drunkenness, often leading to immediate and severe consequences.
A. Noah (Genesis 9:21): After the flood, righteous Noah "drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent." This led to shame and a curse upon his lineage through Ham.
B. Lot's daughters got him drunk (Genesis 19:31-35): In a desperate attempt to preserve their family line, Lot's daughters repeatedly made their father drunk, leading to incestuous relationships and the birth of nations hostile to Israel (Moabites and Ammonites).
C. Nabal (1 Samuel 25:36): David spared Nabal's life, but when Nabal's wife Abigail returned home, she found him "in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk." His drunken foolishness nearly led to his destruction.
D. David got Uriah drunk (2 Samuel 11:13): In his attempt to cover up his sin with Bathsheba, David deliberately got Uriah drunk to manipulate him into sleeping with his wife. Drunkenness was a tool in the orchestration of murder. E. Ben-hadad (1 Kings 20:16): The Aramean king Ben-hadad, overconfident and drunk during a siege, was caught off guard and defeated by Israel: "Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings with him were in their tents getting drunk."
F. Elshazzar (Daniel 5:4): King Belshazzar, in his drunken revelry, committed blasphemy by drinking from the sacred temple goblets, leading to the infamous "writing on the wall" and his immediate demise: "They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone."
G. Some of the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 11:21): Even within the early church, some members were abusing the Lord's Supper, to the point that "some of you go hungry and others get drunk." This earned them strong rebuke from Paul for despising the church of God.
IV. The Punishment of Drunken People
The Bible is clear about the severe consequences and divine judgment associated with drunkenness.
A. Woe to those who get others drunk (Habakkuk 2:15): "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their nakedness!" God pronounces a strong curse on those who intentionally lead others into drunkenness, often for their own perverse gratification.
B. Wine ultimately leads to death like a snake (Proverbs 23:31-32): "Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper." While it may seem appealing at first, the long-term effects of excessive alcohol are destructive and ultimately lead to death.
C. The church should not have fellowship with drunkards (1 Corinthians 5:11): Paul instructs the Corinthian church concerning those who claim to be brothers but persist in open sin: "But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people." This is a strong call for maintaining the purity of the church and not condoning open sin.
D. They will not enter the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10; Galatians 5:21): These verses, already cited, stand as stark warnings. A life characterized by unrepentant drunkenness is incompatible with inheriting eternal life with God.
E. They will be punished eternally in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8): In the ultimate list of those who will face eternal condemnation, John writes: "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." While "drunkards" are not explicitly listed here, their inclusion in lists of those who will not inherit the kingdom, and the categorization of drunkenness as a "work of the flesh" and a "detestable idolatry," place them among those whose unrepented lives lead to this eternal punishment.
- Preaching on Sons and Daughters: Relationship and the Family Unit
- Preaching on Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always
- Preaching on Everything is New. II Corinthians 5:17
Conclusion
My beloved brothers and sisters, drunkenness is indeed a pervasive sin that has profoundly affected individuals, families, and our society throughout history. It is a trap that leads to the loss of self-control, dignity, spiritual awareness, and ultimately, eternal life.
We must heed the clear warnings from God's Word. We must take care not to fall into this devastating sin, or allow ourselves to be desensitized to its dangers. Let us be sober-minded, self-controlled, and filled with the Holy Spirit, not with wine.
May we live lives that honor God in all things, free from the enslavement of sin, and ever ready to inherit the glorious kingdom He has prepared for those who obey Him.
