Historical Posts
Moral Issue: Tobacco Use – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – audio
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Moral Issues: Gambling - Sex - Tobacco Use
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Text: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Introduction
1. Another moral issue confronting Christians is the consumption of tobacco
a. In the form of smoking (cigarettes, cigars, pipes)
b. Also smokeless tobacco (chew, snuff)
2. In the past, the dangers of tobacco use may have not been known
a. Prompting many (including Christians) to consider it a harmless habit
b. Even today some take it lightly
3. But the evidence for the harmful effects of tobacco is now overwhelming
Body
I. STATISTICS ON TOBACCO
A. OVERALL MORTALITY
1. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States
2. Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 438,000 deaths, about 1 of every 5 deaths, each year
3. More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined
4. On average, adults who smoke cigarettes die 14 years earlier than nonsmokers
5. Centers For Disease Control Prevention
B. MORTALITY FROM SPECIFIC DISEASES
1. Lung cancer: 123,800 deaths; other cancers: 34,700 deaths per year
2. Chronic lung disease: 90,600 deaths; coronary heart disease: 86,800 deaths per year
3. Stroke: 17,400 deaths; other diagnoses: 84,600 deaths per year
C. EFFECTS OF SECOND HAND SMOKE
1. Secondhand smoke exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults
2. It causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700- 69,600 heart disease deaths annually among adult nonsmokers in the United States
3. It causes respiratory symptoms in children and slows their lung growth
4. It causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more frequent and severe asthma attacks in children
5. Almost 60% of U.S. children aged 3-11 years-or almost 22 million children-are exposed to secondhand smoke
6. There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure – even brief exposure can be dangerous — Ibid.
D. OTHER FORMS OF TOBACCO USE
1. Pipe smoking and cigar smoking increase the risk of dying from cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx, and oral cavity
2. Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents (carcinogens)
3. Smokeless tobacco use increases the risk for developing oral cancer
4. Adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers — Ibid.
E. IN VIEW OF THE EVIDENCE OF HARMFUL EFFECTS, THERE ARE GOOD REASONS TO ABSTAIN FROM TOBACCO
II. WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD ABSTAIN
A. THE EFFECT ON OUR BODIES
1. Remember what the Bible teaches
a. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 6:19
b. Our bodies have been bought, and are not our own – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
c. Our bodies are to glorify God – 1 Corinthians 6:20
d. Our bodies are instruments by which we serve God – Romans 12:1-2; 6:13,19
2. Thus our bodies are a reflection of our stewardship
a. We are all stewards of God’s manifold grace – 1 Peter 4:10
b. Our duty is to be faithful in what has been given us – 1 Corinthians 4:2
c. We shall be judged by how we used what has been given us – Luke 16:10-12
d. What if someone borrowed what is yours and misused it (e.g., your car)?
3. Years cut short by tobacco are lost opportunities to serve and glorify God
B. THE EFFECT ON OTHERS
1. Hurting, even killing them through second-hand smoke
2. Burdening family financially with hospital bills left behind
3. Depriving family of your presence as spouse, parent, grand-parent
4. Impoverishing the church and society of our talents and service
5. Is slowly killing yourself and harming others showing love, or selfishness?
C. THE EFFECT ON OUR INFLUENCE
1. We are role models, for our faith is spoken of by others – Romans 1:8; 16:19
2. We influence others for good or ill
3. Can we say what Paul did about following one’s example? – Philippians 3:17
4. Do we consider the effect it has on saving others? – 1 Corinthians 10:31-33
5. Does tobacco help or hinder our efforts to share Christ with others?
Conclusion
1. The harmful effects of tobacco have been clearly established
a. The scientific evidence is overwhelming
b. Even our bodies tell us by the way they react to smoke
2. Christians have ample reason to abstain
a. For health reasons
b. For spiritual reasons
For those addicted to nicotine, stopping may not be easy. But I trust we have seen that one should make every effort to rid themselves of this habit that can destroy both body and soul
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Moral Issue: Gambling – Ephesians 04:17-20 – audio
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Moral Issues: Gambling - Sex - Tobacco Use
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Introduction
1. We turn now to gambling, a moral issue confronting Christians due to:
a. The proliferation of government sanctioned gambling (e.g., state lotteries)
b. The easy access to gambling (race track, lottery tickets in convenience stores, bingo, charitable gambling and casinos are going to be back on the ballot) [editor’s note: Casino’s are now opening in Columbus Oct 8th, 2012. Voted down by Franklin county voters, but voted in by the statewide Ohio electorate]
2. What is gambling (or gaming)…?
a. The wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods
b. Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period
c. The term gaming in this context typically refers to instances in which the activity has been specifically permitted by law
3. Sadly, some religions encourage gambling
a. Both the Catholic and Jewish traditions traditionally set aside days for gambling – Dwayne Carpenter, quoted in Gambling Had Role in Religious History
b. The above article mentions Christmas and Hanukkah as holidays in which gambling was permitted, if not encouraged
4. If both states and some religions approve of gambling, what could be wrong with it?
Body
I. FALSE ARGUMENTS USED TO JUSTIFY GAMBLING
A. LIFE IS A GAMBLE?
1. Does not Solomon say time and chance happen to them all? – Ecclesiastes 9:11
2. So it may appear when life is viewed under the sun (a purely worldly perspective)
3. But God’s will in our lives precludes a life of pure chance – 1 Corinthians 4:19; James 4:15
4. Life is not gambling, it involves the will of God!
B. FARMING IS A GAMBLE?
1. Does not the farmer take a risk in sowing when he may not reap?
2. But God has promised seedtime and harvest would not cease – Genesis 8:22
3. Farming is an honorable way of receiving God’s blessings – Psalm 104:14
4. Farming is not gambling, it involves the activity of God!
C. BUYING INSURANCE IS A GAMBLE?
1. Is not buying insurance a gamble?
2. Insurance is simply a method of shifting risk (accident, illness) from one party to another
3. It is also a way of providing for one’s family, an important duty – 1 Timothy 5:8
4. Insurance is not gambling, when used to shift risk and provide for others
D. INVESTING IS A GAMBLE?
1. Is not investing in business or the stock market a gamble?
2. It can be, when involving speculative or significant risks
3. But good and safe investments are not evil within themselves – Matthew 25:14-30
4. Investing is not gambling, when done prudently
II. ARGUMENTS AGAINST GAMBLING
A. THE PRINCIPLE IS SINFUL
1. Gambling violates the work ethic – Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
a. To gain from honorable labor
b. Not get rich quick schemes
2. Gambling violates the stewardship ethic – 1 Chronicles 29:13-14; 1 Peter 4:10
a. All things come from God
b. We will have to give an account for our stewardship
3. People gamble for a quick buck, willing to risk what is not theirs
B. THE MOTIVATION IS SINFUL
1. People gamble because of greed – 1 Timothy 6:9-10
a. Their desire to be rich, which leads to foolish and harmful lusts, destruction and perdition
b. Their love of money, which leads to loss of faith and many sorrows
2. People gamble because of covetousness – Ephesians 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6
a. They want something more than God, making it idolatry
b. They will bring the wrath of God upon themselves
3. People gamble because they want to be rich, a desire we should flee (1 Timothy 6:11)
C. THE FRUIT IS SINFUL
1. It takes advantage of others’ weaknesses – Romans 15:1-2
a. Exploiting others or extorting money for one’s own advantage
b. Do gamblers care what happens to those who lose?
2. It leads to unsavory companions – 1 Corinthians 15:33; Ephesians 5:11
a. Others who are motivated by greed and covetousness
b. Those quick to take advantage: bookies, loan sharks, etc.
3. It leads to addiction – 2 Peter 2:19
a. Gambling can become psychologically and physically addictive
b. Monetary reward in a gambling-like experiment produces brain activation very similar to that observed in a cocaine addict receiving an infusion of cocaine. – Hans Breiter, MD, co-director of the Motivation and Emotion Neuroscience Centre at Massachusetts General Hospital
4. It leads to other sins – Mark 7:21-23
a. As debts build up, people turn to other quick sources of money (theft, drugs)
b. Suicide is common, along with abuse, divorce, other mental disorders
5. People who gamble do not consider how they hurt themselves and others
Conclusion
1. Which is gambling more like…?
a. The works of the flesh, or the fruit of the Spirit? Galatians 5:19-23
b. The deeds of the old man, or the apparel of the new man? Colossians 3:5-14
2. One does need to look long to see that gambling is sinful:
a. The motive is greed
b. The desire is to get rich quick (covetousness)
c. The harm to self and others is extensive
3. Consider these tidbits of wisdom:
a. Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing from something – Wilson Mizner
b. The safest way to “double your money” is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket
c. By gaming we lose both our time and treasure – two things most precious to the life of man – Owen Felltham
d. Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math – Author Unknown
Only those blinded by the deceitfulness of sin have problems seeing the problems with gambling…
“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ…” – Ephesians 4:17-20
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Revelation 21:08 A Journey Through Hell – powerpoint – audio
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Text: Revelation 21:8
Revelation-21-08-08-A-Journey-Through-Hell.PDF
Revelation-21-08-08-A-Journey-Through-Hell.PPTX
References:
Matthew 7:13-14
Luke 16:22-23
Mark 9:43-48
Matthew 25:41
Luke 12:4-5
Revelation 20:13-15
Revelation 21:8
Pilate (Indifferent):
– Matthew 6:24
– Matthew 12:30
– James 4:17
Pharisees (Corrupt):
– Luke 7:29-30
– Matthew 23:15
Demas (Materialist):
– 2 Timothy 4:10
– James 4:4
– 1 John 2:15
Agrippa (Hesitant):
– Acts 26:28
– 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
Demetrius (Idolator):
– Acts 19:23-29
– John 4:24
– Revelation 21:8
You or I?
– 2 Corinthians 13:5
– 1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Moral Issue: Sex – 1 Corinthians 6:18 – audio
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Moral Issues: Gambling - Sex - Tobacco Use
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Text: 1 Corinthians 6:18
Introduction
1. As we begin addressing specific moral issues confronting the Christian, perhaps a proper starting place is with the issue of sexual immorality:
a. A moral issue faced by every Christian
b. One about which the Bible has much to say – 1 Corinthians 6:18
2. The admonition to flee sexual immorality is needed just as much today:
a. Sexual immorality is rampant in our culture
b. Morality is being loosely defined (and redefined), encouraging many to engage in sinful behavior
Body
I. THE DEFINITION OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY
A. THE BASIC CONCEPT
1. The Greek word translated sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18 NKJV), fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18 KJV), is porneia
2. “Used generally to refer to any sexual sin” – The Complete Word Study Dictionary
3. Thus it includes any form of “illicit sexual intercourse – adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals, etc.” – Thayer
B. THE PROBLEM THEN AND NOW:
1. Porneia became synonymous with life in the 1st century, reflected by:
a. Their attitude toward adultery: “We keep mistresses for pleasure, concubines for day-to-day needs of the body, but we have wives in order to produce children legitimately and to have a trustworthy guardian of our homes” – Demosthenes
b. Their attitude toward divorce: “Roman women were married to be divorced and were divorced to be married. Some of them distinguished the years, not by the names of the consuls, but by the names of their husbands.” – Seneca
c. Their attitude toward family: “Caligula lived in incest with his sister Drusilla, and the lust of Nero did not even spare his mother Agrippina.” – Suetonius
d. Their attitude toward homosexuality:
1) “It were better not to need marriage, but to follow Plato and Socrates and to be content with the love of boys.” – Lucian
2) “Of the first fifteen emperors, Claudius was the only one whose taste in love was entirely correct.” – Gibbons
2. God’s disdain for sexual immorality is seen in the fact:
a. There are seven lists of evil in the writings of Paul
b. Porneia is listed in five of them, and is the first in each of them – 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-22; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians 3:5
3. Does it require much insight to see that porneia is rampant in our time as well?
a. Pre-marital sex has become rampant among many, including teenagers
b. Adultery is considered inevitable, even acceptable by many
c. Divorce has been made easy through “no-fault” laws
d. Families have been torn asunder by incest, adultery, and divorce
e. Homosexuality has become an “acceptable alternative lifestyle”
4. Porneia is thus a general term for sexual immorality; i.e., sexual behavior that rightly belongs only to husbands and wives – Hebrews 13:4
II. THE DEVASTATION OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY
A. DESTROYS THE BODY
1. Through bacterial STDs (e.g., Chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea)
2. Through viral STDs (e.g., genital herpes, Hepatitis B, AIDS), which are incurable
3. Many people have learned the hard way, what Solomon warned his son – Proverbs 5:11-12
B. DEMOLISHES THE HOME
1. Marriages intended for life are broken, often beyond repair – Matthew 19:4-6
2. Children are devastated, with emotional effects lasting into adulthood
C. DESOLATES THE SOUL
1. It will be hard to forgive oneself, there will be self-recrimination – Proverbs 5:12-13
2. Your soul will be deprived of good friends, whose trust you violated – Proverbs 6:30-35
3. If unrepented and unforgiven, there is no hope – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Hebrews 13:4
III. THE DETERRENCE OF SEXUALITY IMMORALITY
A. FORM PROPER DISCERNMENT
1. Remember God’s will for you
a. Joseph understood that sexual immorality was a sin against God – Genesis 39:9
b. Paul taught that abstinence was God’s will – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3
2. Remember God’s will for your body
a. To control your body in holiness and honor (ESV) – 1 Thessalonians 4:4-8
b. To glorify God in your body, as a temple of the Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 6:13-20
c. To present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy to God – Romans 12:1-2
3. Remember the consequences
a. Self-recrimination – Proverbs 5:12-13
b. Lost friendships – Proverbs 6:30-35
c. Judgment against the impenitent – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Hebrews 13:4
d. David’s sin with Bathsheba serves as an object lesson – 2 Samuel 11-12
B. FLEE EVERY OPPORTUNITY
1. Remember Joseph’s example! – Genesis 39:10-12
2. Remember the wisdom of Solomon! – Proverbs 5:1-23; 6:23-35; 7:1-27
3. Remember Paul’s admonitions!
a. Flee youthful lusts, pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace – 2 Timothy 2:22
b. Make no provision for the lusts of the flesh – Romans 13:13-14
C. FIND A SUITABLE SPOUSE
1. Paul counsels marriage between man and woman to counter sexual immorality – 1 Corinthians 7:1-2
2. Sexual conduct within the framework of marriage is appropriate – 1 Corinthians 7:3-5; Hebrews 13:4
3. Singleness is good, if one has self-control; otherwise, marriage the only option – 1 Corinthians 7:6-9
D. FORGE AHEAD WITH STRENGTH FROM GOD
1. United with Christ in baptism, consider yourself dead to sin – Romans 6:2-15
2. By the Spirit, put to death the sinful deeds of the body – Romans 8:12-13
a. The Spirit is God’s instrumental agent by He strengthens the Christian – Ephesians 3:16,20
b. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives includes self-control – Galatians 5:16-25
3. In Christ, we can do all that God desires of us – Philippians 4:13; Ephesians 6:10-13
4. Utilize the tools of prayer and the Word of God – Ephesians 3:16; 6:17
Conclusion
1. To prevent the devastating effects of sexual immorality, we need to remember:
a. God’s will for us: “abstain from sexual immorality” – 1 Thessalonians 4:3
b. Paul’s admonition: “flee sexual immorality” – 1 Corinthians 6:18
2. Sexual immorality is too serious to take lightly
a. It can destroy your body, home, and soul
b. Forgiveness is possible, but physical consequences of sin (STDs) often remain
3. To flee sexual immorality, we need to have:
a. The strength of Joseph
b. The wisdom of Solomon
c. The penitence of David (when necessary)
4. Let these words of Paul encourage us to abstain from sexual immorality, and to repent if need be – 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Why is the Bible Important? – audio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Introduction
- The English word Bible comes from the Greek word biblia, meaning books. The Holy Bible is the collection of inspired books (39 old testament, 27 new testament), revealing in God’s Words how sinful man can be reconciled to Him through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – John 3:16-17
- For this reason it is important to know the indispensible value of God’s written law for men and women. It will determine where you and I will spend eternity, since it will judge us in the last day – John 12:48
- Let us examine further why the Bible is important.
Body
- The Holy scriptures are important because they are the inspired Word of God – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- God moved holy men as they were moved by the Spirit – 2 Peter 1:20-21
- The Bible was written over a span of about 1,500 years by forty different inspired authors, with no contradictions or conflicts in their writings.
- God’s law is important because it’s perfect. It has the ability to save your soul, if you obey it – Psalm 19:7; James 1:21
- The Word of God is important because it is absolute truth – John 17:17
- It is the standard that determines what is right or wrong.
- Through the Word of God you get an understanding of what is true and false – Psalm 119:104
- The Bible is important because it is the guide that leads you out of darkness to the light – Psalm 119:105
- The Sword of the Spirit is important because, it’s powerful, it gets to the thoughts, and intents of the heart – Hebrews 4:12
- The Bible is important because it reveals facts and answers that mankind has questions about. Did you know the Bible reveals that:
– The earth is round – Isaiah 40:22
– The center of the earth is molten – Job 28:5
– The earth floats in space – Job 26:7
– Water vapor rises from the earth – Jeremiah 10:13
– The wind moves in patterns – Ecclesiastes 1:6
Conclusion
- Is the Bible, the Word of God, the center of all things in your life? Is it the standard you live by and base all your decisions upon? If it’s not, why not?
- Why not obey the Word of Truth today and save yourself from the wrath of God?
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Harry (Andy) Anderson Jr.Return to the Home Page