Sects, Drugs, and Rock & Roll
Abundant Life Church is hosting a series of panel discussions on Wednesday nights covering a variety of controversial issues that affect Christians and the church in general. Last week, they discussed Sects (issues that divide) including politics, stem cell research, and modesty. I was scheduled to be on the panel last week, but due to my colonoscopy sickness issues, I had to cancel. I was disappointed, but Gary graciously agreed to fill in for me. I’m sure he was fabulous.
This week, the discussion topic was focused on Drugs (things that addict). Questions centered around:
- Does the church turn a blind eye to gluttony?
- Is gambling wrong? What about church raffles, wall street investing, and the lottery?
- Should a Christian participate in social drinking?
While no one really took the “devil’s advocate” stance or stirred up debate tonight, the conversation and views of the panelists were interesting. None of the answers were too surprising, but a few great points were brought up. One of the most memorable quotes for me was, “If you ask a recovering alcoholic whether social drinking is okay, how do you think he would respond?”
Social drinking is a controversial topic in many Christian circles because Jesus drank wine. Many felt it wasn’t a “heaven or hell” issue, but the risks from drinking are high — do you really want to take that gamble? Even if you think you can handle it, you should ask yourself whether it could cause someone else to fall. If so, then you shouldn’t do it.
One thing that did surprise me was how gluttony is almost always mentioned along with drunkenness in the Bible. All Christians will agree that drunkenness is frowned upon throughout the scriptures, but we all seem to forget that gluttony is just as bad. Our body is the temple of God, and it should be honored as such. Overeating or drowning your sorrow in Blue Bell ice cream is just as wrong as being drunk. In some ways, it might be more difficult to stop being gluttonous because you don’t need alcohol to survive, but you need food. I guess that’s where God comes into the picture. He wants us to turn to Him for help. Why is it that we always try to fix problems on our own or try to find a cheap substitute? He should be the source of our strength and our source of peace — not alcohol, not gambling and not even food. Philippians 4:19 states, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Instead of reaching for the wine or the cookies to relax, get on your knees and talk to Him. He won’t disappoint you.
Next Wednesday is “Rock N Roll (things that can affect)” and the last week of May is all about the “Afterparty (things that will happen).” If you’re interested in hearing more about what real people think about these issues, visit us in Plano at 2021 E. Park Blvd. at 7 pm and join the conversation.
I thought the discussions thus far have been very good. I think self-control is the key issue, and I don’t think there are any substitutes for it. You can have as many boundaries and rules as you want, but without the “self” component, you will always be pushing the limits of what is acceptable.
I personally think that just about everything can be a stumbling block to someone, so I have a difficult time with that criteria, but I think it is important to be sensitive to other people’s chosen standards, and to not intentionally do anything to try to impose your more liberal (or more conservative) views on them.
I completely agree about the “self” part. As for the stumbling block, I think Paul said it best in the 14th chapter of Romans.
http://tinyurl.com/onrf9e
Why did you post all this stuff earlier? That makes for a huge comment.
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Posted by Laura
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I completely agree about the “self” part. And for the stumbling block part, Paul says it best in Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another
[14:1]As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. [2]One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. [3]Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. [4]Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master(1) that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
[5]One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. [6]The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. [7]For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. [8]For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. [9]For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
[10]Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; [11]for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess(2) to God.”
[12]So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Do Not Cause Another to Stumble
[13]Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. [14]I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. [15]For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. [16]So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. [17]For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [18]Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. [19]So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
[20]Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. [21]It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.(3) [22]The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. [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.(4) (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [14:4] Or ‘lord’
2. [14:11] Or ‘shall give praise’
3. [14:21] Some manuscripts add ‘or be hindered or be weakened’
4. [14:23] Some manuscripts insert here 16:25-27
” target=”_new”>Romans 14 (NIV):
1. Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
2. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
4. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5. One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
8. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
11. It is written:
” ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.’ “[a] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
14. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[b] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
15. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
16. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.
17. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
18. because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
23. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Argh! Shut up. 😉 I tried to paste the verses in the comments box, and it completely hi-jacked my site. Thanks for pointing out how annoying it was to fix it.