Gluttony

The deadly sin of gluttony that's had quite a reaction from many of you that's a topic as we continue the study and the seven deadly sins of never heard anyone preach on gluttony. I'm not sure if that if that is because many preachers are gluttonous or whether there are so many gluttons in the average church of the subject is avoided in case we could find a mature but we dealt with the deadly sins of pride, of anger, of envy. Last week we thought of sloth next week. Lord willing, will think of greed and then a couple weeks after that will think of the sin of lust. But today's message is on gluttony. I'm sure you will agree that one of the great delights of life.

One of the great joys of life is to sit down and enjoy a delicious meal with her friends with families, perhaps with people would never make it in its great joy.

All of us enjoy that and follow tells us in first Timothy that God gives us richly all things to enjoy this life and father's world is to be enjoyed and surely having a wonderful meal with friends is one of the great joints. Lord gave us what we call the Lord's supper where we eat and drink during our large life. He was criticized the Pharisees and the criticized John because he was always theater in his diet just eating locusts and wild honey. He wants to live in that where is our Lord went into the homes of the tax collectors of the sinners and ate and drank with them and the Pharisees saw that saw the Lord in the home eating and drinking with these wretched sinners and was accused by them. Matthew 11 of being a friend of gluttons and drunkards, so the Scripture is sadly not saying that eating and drinking a wrong but it is sinful, as were going to see it, is sinful to eat and drink to excess to be fixated on food and I think as a society that is a great temptation for us. So I think this message on gluttony is timely that overeating gluttony drunkenness are condemned in Scripture in our culture those who are out a bit overweight off our are sometimes look down on being thin, particularly if your woman is applauded. Many people man and woman seem to be a process with her physical fitness with how they look, I don't know how often they spend their time admiring other bodies in the matter personally, when I come out of the shower I tried not to look in the manner but there are some who become very narcissistic and that they want to explain to any of us who will listen how little he eats and how much they drink, and you notice this people are boasting how little he eats telling us the latest diet as if we were interested and also how much they how much water they consume each day as if again that was of interest to anyone but us as our society. I told you we the series I was going offend everyone.

So there you there you are. Before we came to Charlotte we lived in Michigan and Kalamazoo and I remember that in Kalamazoo. Not exactly be the center of the universe with a wonderful place to live and relive that they very happily for 10 years or so, but they opened a Krispy Kreme in Grand Rapids was about 50 miles away and there's a number of people remember this time there's a number of people who wanted to tell us they had driven 50 miles in order to eats Krispy Kreme doughnuts as if there's this was a great adventure of gourmet delight. Absolutely incredible, we live in a society where you can do this and there were people can enjoy all-you-can-eat buffets be in their harbinger super sizing, fast food, I confess that I have done that I love McDonald's French fries were traveling to me that the delay dope is not a sign of my gluttony, but when these big boxes, not boxes, cartons of French fries and a milkshake. I mean that is absolutely incredible and I'd which we chomp on that as if it were last mailed only at the other extreme, you got people obsessing with anything as little as they can get people telling us how much they eat and that we should try 50 miles of the special doughnuts another hand we got a group of people who tell us how little the leasing to spend a small fortune buying health foods and vitamins and again telling us of the legal latest diet in the society of abundance wills of this phenomenon of eating disorders such as bulimia, binge eating, were told of any frequent, particularly among young women on the college campus someone said is about 11%. I'm not sure but it seems incredible proportion of young women who are very much obsessed with her diluted kind of got the second picture often a false picture of what they think is a perfect body.

Anorexia is a pathological fear of weight gain, leading often to extreme weight loss and again this is not uncommon in our society. CS Lewis many of you have read and recommended to you the Screwtape letters member the Screwtape letters where the motor experienced demon is giving advice to the younger demon is how to tempt believers and all kinds of sins and CS Lewis writes about the gluttony of access and also the gluttony of delicacy to the two extremes is loose and sagging in his telling his demons about those who make it to March. Gluttons of access to many French fries and milkshakes.

On the other hand, you've got the excess of delicacy.

Is it worth in excess of delicacy was in the CS Lewis.

He does this very brilliantly. I think here is a woman who suffers from the gluttony of delicacy or please, please, all I want is a cup of tea week, but not too weak and the tiniest wing is real. Chris toast Lewis says because what she wants is smaller and less costly than what is been said before her. She never recognizes her gluttony, her determination to get what she wants, however troublesome it may be to others. At the very moment of indulging her appetite.

She believes she is practicing temperance and accredited restaurant.

She gives a little scream at the plate with some overworked waitresses set before her and said oh that's far, far too much to get away and bring about 1/4 of it.

If challenged she would say she's doing this to avoid waste and reality. She does it because the particular shade of delicacy to which we have enslaved her is offended by the site of more food than she wants to happen so she is loose is saying it is these demons trying to tempt us as believers to particular sin. This end up eating too much and the sea and the sin of focusing so much on food that can affect controlling us with her wheat eat too much or too little is that the case than that so many of us have very unhealthy views of food.

Food is a gift from God, but is very easy for foods to become an idol. Fewer and fewer families sit dying together for a family meal. I was raised in our culture. Everyone did that.

You basically ate it at three meals a day at breakfast went to scope you the terrible school dinners.

Can you believe what they were in Scotland. My day we had them that we went home and we sat down and and had a meal together that helped us to eat in moderation and also helped us how to converse at the table but that has become in our society less and less so families are very busy to drive around and there's a driver under much more likely to eats fast food to snack during the day.

Each person in the house now and summarizes. I wasn't raised like this but you decide you want to eat when you want to eat.

The fridges always there was plenty of food and so each person in a sense is this, citing their own food and with the results that we become obsessed with food, eating too much or too little. And if were not careful I ask you whatever you are is foods controlling your are you fixated on food thinking too much about it, talking too much about it.

No analyzer sweeties. I'm not against students.

I love food was a question.

Isn't it of what is controlling us. Let's look at the biblical teaching on gluttony and kindness. Birds were also going to do with drunkenness turn in your Bibles first to Proverbs Proverbs 23 verses one to and three.

First of all the deadly sin of gluttony.

Yes, it is a sin.

Proverbs 23 verse one middle of your Bible, Psalms, Proverbs, when you sit down to eat with a ruler. Observe carefully what is before you. I'd put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite is a graphic way of saying don't be a glutton do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. As a warning when faced with delicacies gone, the deceived and given to overindulgence just because there is food there is applied just because it's out of to your your rulers plenty of money and plenty of food and there's this whole stack of food in front of you. Just because it's there doesn't mean that you have to eat it, we would say don't make a pig of yourself pigs. He was a real give them the escape chomp jump jump jump jump over, not pigs were human beings made in the image of God. Think of the way dogs eat now know your dog is different is a wonderful little creature, your best friend, but other people's dogs leaders wolves done what you give them the dog. I read I read this week adults by the wear gluttons but they don't know any better I read this week in San Francisco was a restaurant called dog the OG you eat and it is the first apparently to offer, wait for it, a tasting menu just for dogs. They have a three course meal.

It's made you expect this in California winter three course meal is made with locally sourced and organic ingredients. The dogs really appreciate that and the owner of the dog should appreciates it much more. The charges $75.

Please take your little dog big dog and pay $75 and something serves up stuff incredible is that with the restaurant is called dog.

So when you're visiting San Francisco nearby. The dog you can go there turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3 where we see in the New Testament. What Paul has to say about gluttony and brought in Philippians chapter 3, Paul is giving a strong rebuke to those who are enemies of the cross of Christ. And here he describes them, limiting from verse 17 Philippians New Testament Philippians 3 verse 17 brothers join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us for many of whom have often told you not tell you, even with tears walk as enemies of the cross of Christ that end is destruction there. God is their belly and they glory in their shame with mindset on earthly things is the point not just of food, no food was a gift from God, but here are people there described as enemies of the cross.

They glory in their shame that we have that in our society, not just a matter of sending are you going to pray about it and tell everyone. People glory in their shame women lost our ability to blush. We glory in our shame, and since Paul called his family First Amendment.

No other gods before me.

They foods there foods their belly their self-indulgence or focus on earthly things that they're going to accumulate more and more of Ashley things.

Notice the contrast verse 20. Our citizenship is in heaven. Enemies of the cross focus on themselves self-indulgent glorying in their shame. Their God is their belly, but we were followers of Jesus Christ. We want to look up to heaven. From it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body is not wonderful. The good ole with her aches and pains as we get older that this body. Some translations say the body of humiliation that however well you take care of yourself and however much you exercise your body is getting older and older, but we'll worry about that.

This followers of Jesus Christ.

Why, because we look up look up to Christ. Our focus is not on the things of this world is not to live a self-indulgent, selfish, self-serving life with his father to serve Christ to look up to that glorious day when our Savior will come and is going to transform our lowly body to be, says Paul, like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to the subject all things to him. So what difference food which is a gift from God, has become an idol to them instead of worshiping God. The worshiping themselves or worshiping earthly things very easy to get like that, particularly in this country. This wonderful country nation of United States where there is so much and it is so easy isn't it to be self-indulgent to be gluttonous to pursue the things of the turnover to Titus, Paul's letter to Titus, first and second Timothy Titus, Paul describes the people at Creech where there's going to be these churches Titus one verse 12. He says one of the cretins a prophet of that on the said Cretans are always liars, agreeably for the same that always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons without last week of sloth. The sin of sloth is often compounded by the sin of gluttony. Lazy people are often gluttons laziness and gluttony often go together.

So it's clear from Scripture that gluttony is sinful. If you are a glutton stop eating so much.

Do you really need that third or fourth. Donna really, why not just focus on the center of the nonthreatening center of the former drunkenness is a locale recharge with no need to worry about that you will know the church very well do some of your struggle with this sin of drunkenness of drugs life again which is enslaved, not by the power of God, but by the power of alcohol.

The polar drugs turn back to Proverbs, read some scriptures that first of all. Proverbs chapter 20 gluttony, drunkenness is the sin of access the sins of self indulgence and not one of us can say were not immune from that Proverbs 28 verse one. Wine is a marker strong drink brawler, whoever is led astray by. It is not wise your drinking to excess involved in drugs. That is foolishness. The Bible says it is not wise.

Stop chapter 23 Proverbs 23 verse 19 here. My son and be wise and direct your heart and the way programs often as a father giving advice to the sun. You want to be wise you want to please God. Listen verse 20. Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous leaders of meets for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty and slumber will close them with rags, strong statement against drunkards and against God's gone keep company with such people.

Be careful, don't drink to excess. Don't spend time with people who are getting drunk is true. The psalmist says that wine gladdens the heart of man, some hundred and four – 15 but there are those again who drink too much.

We get drunk we going to verse 29 of Proverbs 23, who has wall who is sorrow, who strive who has complaining who has wounds without cause, who has redness of eyes pretty good description of the hangover is in the those who tarry long over wine. Those who go to try do not look at wine when it's right when the sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly in the end it writes like an serpent tends things like an ad that your eyes will see strange things in your heart after perverse things will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mass they struck me.

You will say, but I was not hurt.

They beat me with. I did not feel it when shall I awake I must have another drink but that describes the alcoholic doesn't it person that wake up and feel absolutely lousy. We can remember where the being sometimes but let me have another drink.

Can I say, particularly to her students. If this before but here's a passive telling don't get drunk after college.

Do not take the drug. Do not take that alcohol I was given advice when I went up at the University would go and then there's a there's a party by the faculty and whether handing either handing out boots in Scotland, you kind of a good time unless you have drunk upon your decision to make. You know that the problem along with the other ones. Have a great time or you can abstain. I'm glad in the grace of God I said no little brother was there to make sure I said no I'm not going to go down that road is very easy to begin is very very difficult to stop. Paul describes the party scene in Romans 13 verse 13 what happens in the party scene when it's your college will it's with your colleagues at work. What happens when people drink too much or then that starts with drink. Then there's some drug class runs then there's immorality listening to Paul writing to the Romans knew about it.

The first century Christians do. By this, some of them before they came to Christ were involved in it. We had a brother quote from for our second Corinthians 517 of anyone being Christ is a new creation the old is gone, the new has come. Here's the old let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness. He's writing to Christians in the first century don't get involved in that kind of party leave it, don't go to. If you're invited you find yourself in it.

Leave it as quickly as you can, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy could advice is not just to students but to all of us, you end up you can zero in on different one. Get involved in this. I want take this.

I wonder that, and before you know it your absorbed in that culture and it's going to take you further and further further away from the Lord, you know that some of you have been on that path God and his grace is arrested, you stop to and you know a new creature in Christ.

One of the works of the flesh. Paul describes in Galatians 5 verse 21 is drunkenness. Don't get drunk. God never ever ever. Once anyone drunk.

Do not get drunk you people boasting of its in the UK. I think possibly here as well. We have a culture where people deliberately set out on a Friday night and they're going to get blasted I'm with you drunk. This is ideal from the good time grinding your sorrows living in this escape world and then waking up with a terrible headache and wondering what NAFTA by Don when I was under the influence of drink do not get drunk condemnation against gluttony and drunkenness. There two biblical principles very quickly, which I want to leave with you, which will help you to principles to live by, particularly in dealing with the sin of access anything next week of great rethinking, particularly of greed for food and drink, but obviously there are other sins. These are three things of indulgence, which in commenter lights. First of all, eat and drink, to the glory of God. That's a great principal and by dinnertime in your Bibles to first Corinthians 10 first Corinthians 10. Glad the Bible is called answers by the Bible as God answers the questions with no you asked is up-to-date.

It is an the Corinthians knew about sin then you about parties and eating and drinking first Corinthians 10 verse 23. All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up my teenage years trying to argue with my father about various things with her the right and wrong. He used to refer but is it going to be edifying and may be lawful. It may not be sinful to go to that kind of party but is it going to be helpful to your life as a Christian, good question.

Verse 24.

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Your actions impact others eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the grounds of conscience for the F is the Lords and the fullness thereof is a gift of God. If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you're disposed to go eat whatever is set before you, without raising any question on the grind of conscience with someone say see you. This is been offered in sacrifice and don't eat it for the sake of the one who informed you and for the sake of conscience.

I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liver to be determined by someone else's conscience if I partake with thankfulness.

Why am I the nuns because of that for which I give thanks so is a principal verse 31. I have underlined in my new Bible in the line but just last night. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God is not great principal the context here is whether believers should eat meat, which was offered to idols is not a question, but food and drink are gifts of God and the point is that as we eat and as we drink, we are to consider how actions impact others will someone be offended, will someone be built-up. I need to understand the Christians look on some of these matters differently with different consciences, but the principal in verse 31 will guide you. Even in the trivial things of lodgment, silly, eating or drinking, can you do this to the glory of God.

Everything I do now that I'm a follower of Christ. I am to do not to satisfy my selfish desires not to implement the agenda of John Monroe, but I'm to do this, to the glory of God is a high standard. My goal in life is not self-indulgence to glorify God.

We are tempted to eat too much.

Asked can I do this to the glory of God. Will anyone be offended by my actions.

Is this building up others.

We are made in the image of God with creations of God. And if you're a follower of Jesus Christ. I realize as many of us claim here this morning if you're a follower of Jesus Christ. Not only have you been created by God. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. That is, I have been bought once I was a slave to my selfish desires wherever they were my Lord Jesus Christ has come. He's delivered me from my slave away from the slave market of sin. He has brought me and think of the price is precious blood.

I am no, not my own live my own life which I really want to do my own agenda my own ambitions know I am no property of Jesus Christ.

I have that stamp on me.

You belong to me. I slave of Christ. Wonderful to know that I belong to Jesus Christ and now go over to first Corinthians 6 and now because of that I am to glorify God with my body. You do that you glorify God with your body.

First Corinthians 6 verse 19 do not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, you know your own what you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

I am to take care of my body. That means no self-indulgence, no gluttony, no drunkenness, I'm to take care of my body. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit we sign Christ living in us, Christ lives in me when you're saved by the grace of God. Miracles happen. One of them is that your and dwelt by the Holy Spirit. And now that you're indwelt by the Holy Spirit you not to abuse your body by being a glutton or a drunkard glorify God in your body you so well I do that I really take care of my body for the commute access even in that first Timothy four. First Timothy four verse eight you say well yes I'm going to take care of my body is really my speciality in life know that is not to be a number one thing you do in life. First Timothy four verse seven have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths, but rather, train yourself for godliness, for while bodily training is of some value godliness is of value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. You worked out you take care of your body to admire your muscles in the matter, that's fine to take care of you good to exercise Princess Paul understand this. That's only of little value, but something much more importance than the physical exercise and that is spiritual training yourself for godliness.

I'm in training Scriptures tell us how to train ourselves for godliness balls going to tell us in second Timothy about the word of God so that I know Scripture, so that I am ready for every good work so that I am strong in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, great thing to do to exercise nothing wrong with the invite is commendable. But remember this, so if it a little while and training myself for godliness visits for my life now and says Paul, for the life to come, but interesting, isn't it the excuses we gave not to read her Bible not to come to church not to leave their family and devotions of the most common reason we don't have time come on man you spend all that time in the gym and you don't you can spend 10 minutes in this book, you spend all that time working out and you say you don't have time in your family, and an evening or whatever it is to get the family lines open the Scriptures read a few verses and pray wrong priorities and it did you hear the children first things first, what's the first thing you physical exercise. No is not to be the first thing first thing is God's business. Part of that yes is taking care of yourself, but of much more volume is the eternal is a verse principal then do all to the glory of God.

Secondly, be filled be controlled by the spirit time is gone but let me review the important verse first start Ephesians 5 Ephesians 5 verse 18 verse 17 don't be foolish understand what the will of the Lord. This is the will of the Lord deliver foolish life and then to live a life of self-indulgence.

Verse 18 do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery here made was of you again drunk those of you on drugs. Generally don't don't do that.

That's debauchery that's against the teaching of Scripture. Stop it is and well you know it's kind of got me this control. That's the problem isn't it being controlled by a drug you bring controlled by the booze you're being controlled by your fleshly appetite.

Don't do that.

It's but be filled with the spirit, every single believer true believer is indwelt by the Spirit. The gift that's got stamp on me that I'm a follower of Christ coming dwelt with the spirit, but every Christian is not filled with the spirit to be filled with the spirit, is to be controlled by the spirit you invite me to your home. I'm in your home.

I'm not in control of your own Holy Spirit indwells me by the Holy Spirit is to control me every aspect of my life, even in this seemingly trivial things like whether either.

What I drink is under the control of the spirit to be controlled by the spirit. What's the problem, brothers and sisters are problem is with allowing our fleshly lusts, our own desires to control us were allowing the dictates of our culture to set our priorities don't do that. Listen to the children first things first, your enjoyment in life. Your comfort in life you are eating your drinking your accumulation of things that can never be the first priority. Your first priority date is the kingdom of God is if I feel so weak he asked sinners out here totally weak Satan with all of these strategies can easily get the victory over here but no every day as I get up I'm to submit to this guy fill me. Give me your strength. Give me your wisdom with the result of its addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in the and the Lord with your heart, Paul says similarly and cautiously, to let the word of Christ dwell richly in your giving thanks always and for everything to God the father, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Same principle of doing all to the glory of God. Can you. Thank God for the simulation problem is where very unthankful ardently. We take take take when we complain when life doesn't go the way we want to be filled with the spirit, is to be full of joy to be full of thankfulness. Verse 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

The spirit it produces gentleness and humility in us.

Someone getting baptized in the quoted Galatians 22 Galatians 522 and 23 was part of the fruit of the spirit, gentleness and self-control.

That's it. That's with us, but it does as the spirit flows in you and through you to be thankful terms of food and drink to give thanks to Dan bonder that just as a formality. Is it that we are family is pause so let's pray is a will will say grace yes asking for God's grace. This wonderful good yesterday we said that another beautiful meal in Asheville, I was appreciating a wedding. We sat down and it was a beautiful meal. Some the people. The table we knew there were new people.

There is a wonderful experience bye-bye that wasn't self-indulgence enjoyment of life, good food, good fellowship meeting new people at time of joy, a time of celebration at time of giving thanks but the focus is not on satisfying my selfish lusts focus is on glorifying God.

You made food your idle eating too much or too little. Always having that third or fourth helping the male or trying to live an accountant and a lettuce leaf billing that don't allow food to define who you are, live life the full live life to Joe.

I think the beauty of the weather here.

The foliage to be alive to experience the goodness of God to be with family and friends within the house of the Lord. We we thank God we praise God we glorify God and thank God that in these grace he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have ever lasting life by their magnificent Lord Jesus Christ comes in and takes on the cross, our sins just sends of gluttony and of drunkenness and self-indulgence in excess.

As we come to him. He wraps his arm around us and cleanses us through his precious blood fills us with this better than I was. There is no you go and live a life not of self-indulgence, not of access, but live life to the glory of God. A life of joy, a life of freedom, a life of praise. We thank God for all of the good things of life.

In his precious name father is a shoot subject and Philip just rush through it so take your word precious work and apply to our hearts and now each of us are faced with a response. We thank you that your spirit not only convicts us. It shines on the loveliness of our Lord Jesus and a hell of a great error, sin, his mercy and his grace, and more so me. We respond with hearts of humility with hearts desiring to please you in all that we do in Christ