I'd like to begin tonight
00:00:09.67\00:00:11.27
by inviting you to
use your imagination.
00:00:11.31\00:00:15.48
I want you to pretend
00:00:15.51\00:00:17.38
that you have
been given three wishes
00:00:17.41\00:00:20.48
to ask for anything
in life that you want.
00:00:20.52\00:00:25.12
With those three wishes
as you are thinking now,
00:00:25.15\00:00:28.96
what would you
choose to wish for?
00:00:28.99\00:00:33.83
How many of you
would seriously consider
00:00:33.86\00:00:38.63
using one of your wishes
00:00:38.67\00:00:41.90
to wish for perfect health
for the rest of your life.
00:00:41.94\00:00:46.81
Could I see your hands?
00:00:46.84\00:00:48.81
Oh, look at all
those hands that are up.
00:00:48.84\00:00:51.15
So I think we all agree
that good health is important
00:00:51.18\00:00:55.25
and when you think about it,
00:00:55.28\00:00:56.62
it is a key
ingredient to happiness.
00:00:56.65\00:01:00.66
One of the most
wonderful truths about God
00:01:00.69\00:01:03.69
is that He
loves and cares for us
00:01:03.73\00:01:06.13
in a very personal and
in a very intimate way.
00:01:06.16\00:01:09.63
And you will find that
00:01:09.66\00:01:11.00
God has given us
principles in the Scripture
00:01:11.03\00:01:13.50
of how we can live a happy,
healthy, and abundant life.
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I want you to take your Bibles
and turn with me to John 10:10.
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This will be one of our
foundational texts for tonight.
00:01:23.31\00:01:26.72
Now, I am gonna read this
off of the screen, John 10:10,
00:01:26.75\00:01:31.59
these are the words of Jesus.
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The Bible says,
00:01:35.06\00:01:37.39
"The thief does not come
except to steal, and to kill,"
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and to do what?"
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Destroy.
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But I have come
that they may have life,
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and that they may
have it more abundantly."
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Now, who is the thief
00:01:51.17\00:01:52.57
that Jesus is
talking about here?
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Oh, that's the devil.
00:01:55.08\00:01:56.41
The Satan would like nothing
more than to steal our joy.
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To get us to engage in practices
00:02:01.38\00:02:04.25
that would destroy
our minds and our bodies
00:02:04.29\00:02:07.49
so that we
cannot connect with God.
00:02:07.52\00:02:09.72
See the devil
wants to tear down.
00:02:09.76\00:02:11.69
Jesus wants to build up,
00:02:11.73\00:02:13.46
and He says He has come
00:02:13.50\00:02:15.66
so that we can have
life more abundantly.
00:02:15.70\00:02:20.20
In fact more than
that, just a few years later,
00:02:20.24\00:02:23.27
John wrote these words
00:02:23.30\00:02:24.77
in his letter to
the Christian church.
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3 John 1:2, the Bible says,
00:02:26.71\00:02:31.45
"Beloved, I pray that you
may prosper in all things,"
00:02:31.48\00:02:37.05
and what?"
00:02:37.09\00:02:38.42
Be in health, just
as your soul prospers."
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See, one of the
things you find about God
00:02:43.06\00:02:45.39
is He is not only interested
in our spiritual health,
00:02:45.43\00:02:49.46
but He is also interested
in our physical health.
00:02:49.50\00:02:53.60
You see now why would that be?
00:02:53.64\00:02:54.97
Why would God be interested
in my physical health?
00:02:55.00\00:02:57.84
Because God is a loving parent.
00:02:57.87\00:03:01.21
See, actually
there's three reasons.
00:03:01.24\00:03:02.58
I want to put them on the screen
00:03:02.61\00:03:04.28
for us to take a look at.
00:03:04.31\00:03:06.21
Reason number one, oh
it's not on the screen.
00:03:06.25\00:03:08.55
Reason number
one is God loves us.
00:03:08.58\00:03:12.42
I want you to
think about your mother.
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How many of you had mothers
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who stood by you
at the kitchen table
00:03:16.96\00:03:19.56
and insisted that you eat
00:03:19.59\00:03:21.56
all the
vegetables on your plate?
00:03:21.60\00:03:23.87
Can I see your hands?
00:03:23.90\00:03:25.33
Oh, my, many of us did.
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Listen, my
mother would stand there
00:03:26.74\00:03:29.80
and she was so fearful
00:03:29.84\00:03:31.31
that I won't eat
enough to keep a bird alive.
00:03:31.34\00:03:33.38
You know what?
00:03:33.41\00:03:34.74
She would call me
and I just wanted to eat
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a couple bites of food,
00:03:36.14\00:03:37.48
go back out and
play with my friends
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like any kid would want to do.
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And she got so scared.
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She kept calling
up the doctor saying,
00:03:42.35\00:03:44.32
"Doctor, he won't eat
anything, he won't eat."
00:03:44.35\00:03:47.82
And she did this
over and over again
00:03:47.86\00:03:50.73
until finally the
doctor got tired of it.
00:03:50.76\00:03:52.66
And he said,
00:03:52.69\00:03:54.03
"Ma'am, listen,
when the boy's hungry,
00:03:54.06\00:03:57.77
the boy will eat."
00:03:57.80\00:03:59.83
And finally my mother
learned to accept that.
00:03:59.87\00:04:02.70
So why do you think
our mothers did that?
00:04:02.74\00:04:05.24
Because they're restrictive
00:04:05.27\00:04:06.71
because they want to force us
00:04:06.74\00:04:08.08
to do things we
don't like to do,
00:04:08.11\00:04:10.25
because they love us.
00:04:10.28\00:04:11.81
They want us to grow up
00:04:11.85\00:04:13.18
to be big and
strong and healthy.
00:04:13.21\00:04:15.48
And in some ways,
God is the very same way.
00:04:15.52\00:04:18.39
He's like a loving parent.
00:04:18.42\00:04:20.59
Reason number two,
00:04:20.62\00:04:22.56
is because God understands
it's hard to be happy
00:04:22.59\00:04:27.20
when you're in
poor health, isn't it?
00:04:27.23\00:04:29.30
It's not impossible.
00:04:29.33\00:04:30.80
But when you have aches
and pains and you're suffering,
00:04:30.83\00:04:33.94
you can't do the
things that you want to do.
00:04:33.97\00:04:36.04
It's hard to be happy.
00:04:36.07\00:04:38.07
And God wants something
better for us than that.
00:04:38.11\00:04:41.88
And, of course,
then reason number three,
00:04:41.91\00:04:44.38
is we can't serve the
Lord to our fullest potential
00:04:44.41\00:04:47.98
when we're in poor health.
00:04:48.02\00:04:49.35
I can't tell you
00:04:49.38\00:04:50.72
how many people have said to me,
00:04:50.75\00:04:52.09
I wish I could do
more for the Lord,
00:04:52.12\00:04:54.02
but I can't do the
things I used to do
00:04:54.06\00:04:56.66
because of my health.
00:04:56.69\00:04:58.59
God says, "He
wants us to prosper,
00:04:58.63\00:05:00.80
and He wants us
to be in health."
00:05:00.83\00:05:04.93
But here's the question,
00:05:04.97\00:05:07.87
if God wants me to
live an abundant life,
00:05:07.90\00:05:11.87
then why is the opposite
happening in our world today?
00:05:11.91\00:05:16.04
Why is our health in
such a sad state of affairs?
00:05:16.08\00:05:20.52
Healthcare has its problems.
00:05:20.55\00:05:22.72
Our bodies are
dying and deteriorating.
00:05:22.75\00:05:25.62
Every hospital,
every nursing home
00:05:25.65\00:05:27.99
is usually
completely overflowing.
00:05:28.02\00:05:31.03
So if God wants me to
prosper and be in health,
00:05:31.06\00:05:34.50
what is the problem?
00:05:34.53\00:05:37.30
And the conclusion
we come to is this.
00:05:37.33\00:05:40.44
Is it possible that
God has given this world
00:05:40.47\00:05:44.84
some principles of health
that we have been overlooking?
00:05:44.87\00:05:50.25
Is it possible
that God has given
00:05:50.28\00:05:52.68
a health plan
to the human family
00:05:52.71\00:05:55.22
that the world
has been ignoring?
00:05:55.25\00:05:58.59
And the answer is yes.
00:05:58.62\00:06:00.66
And that's why tonight
00:06:00.69\00:06:02.02
we are gonna
study God's health plan
00:06:02.06\00:06:03.93
for the human family.
00:06:03.96\00:06:05.39
So I want you to
take your Bibles,
00:06:05.43\00:06:07.36
and we're going to look
at the three pronged approach
00:06:07.40\00:06:11.13
of God's plan
for the human family.
00:06:11.17\00:06:13.87
All three of
these health principles
00:06:13.90\00:06:16.17
are found in the
Book of 1 Corinthians.
00:06:16.20\00:06:19.44
So take your Bibles,
00:06:19.47\00:06:20.81
and we're going to go to
1 Corinthians Chapter 10,
00:06:20.84\00:06:25.41
and we're gonna
begin in verse 31.
00:06:25.45\00:06:28.38
The Bible says,
00:06:28.42\00:06:30.42
"Therefore, whether you
eat or whether you drink,
00:06:30.45\00:06:35.02
or whatever you do,
do all," to the what?
00:06:35.06\00:06:39.39
"Glory of God."
00:06:39.43\00:06:41.26
And that's just
one sentence long.
00:06:41.30\00:06:43.30
The Bible is basically
telling us whatever we do,
00:06:43.33\00:06:45.77
whether it's eating or drinking,
00:06:45.80\00:06:47.44
whatever practice we engage in,
00:06:47.47\00:06:50.54
it ought to be
something that's positive
00:06:50.57\00:06:53.01
and brings glory
and brings honor to God.
00:06:53.04\00:06:57.08
That's health
principle number one.
00:06:57.11\00:06:59.98
Health principle number two
is still found in 1 Corinthians
00:07:00.02\00:07:03.79
but it's in Chapter 6.
00:07:03.82\00:07:05.72
Let's go there.
00:07:05.75\00:07:07.29
1 Corinthians 6:19,
00:07:07.32\00:07:12.56
Paul writes this.
00:07:12.59\00:07:14.50
The Bible says,
00:07:14.53\00:07:17.10
"Or do you not
know that your body,"
00:07:17.13\00:07:20.17
is the what?
00:07:20.20\00:07:21.54
"Temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you,
00:07:21.57\00:07:25.07
whom you have from God
and you are not your own,
00:07:25.11\00:07:29.38
for you were bought at a price.
00:07:29.41\00:07:31.65
Therefore
glorify God in your body
00:07:31.68\00:07:34.85
and in your
spirit, which are gods."
00:07:34.88\00:07:38.75
And we gotta stop
there for a second.
00:07:38.79\00:07:41.12
There's a
principle in that verse
00:07:41.16\00:07:44.23
that many people in
the world don't like,
00:07:44.26\00:07:47.10
it's telling us, my
body doesn't belong to me.
00:07:47.13\00:07:52.17
And I do not have the right
to do to it, whatever I wish.
00:07:52.20\00:07:57.11
And you see,
that's a hard concept
00:07:57.14\00:07:58.87
because when you think about it,
00:07:58.91\00:08:00.38
who created the body?
00:08:00.41\00:08:03.31
Of course, God did.
00:08:03.35\00:08:04.68
I didn't create my own body.
00:08:04.71\00:08:06.45
I didn't form my
heart, and my lungs,
00:08:06.48\00:08:08.62
and my veins,
and my capillaries.
00:08:08.65\00:08:10.92
God did that.
00:08:10.95\00:08:12.29
So not only did
He create my body,
00:08:12.32\00:08:14.86
but the Bible
says He died for me
00:08:14.89\00:08:17.29
on the cross of Calvary.
00:08:17.33\00:08:18.99
So there's two
ways that He owns me,
00:08:19.03\00:08:21.36
by creation and by redemption.
00:08:21.40\00:08:24.17
Can you say amen?
00:08:24.20\00:08:25.73
So see, many
times people say like,
00:08:25.77\00:08:27.74
it's my body, I
can do what I want,
00:08:27.77\00:08:29.94
as long as it
doesn't hurt anybody else.
00:08:29.97\00:08:33.31
Actually, that's not true.
00:08:33.34\00:08:36.14
My body, your body
00:08:36.18\00:08:37.98
is the temple
of the Holy Spirit.
00:08:38.01\00:08:40.08
It's where God wants to dwell.
00:08:40.12\00:08:42.15
So this passage is telling us
00:08:42.18\00:08:44.22
that we need to
honor God with our bodies
00:08:44.25\00:08:47.46
and take care of them.
00:08:47.49\00:08:49.59
Because really,
when you think about it,
00:08:49.62\00:08:51.06
it makes a lot of sense.
00:08:51.09\00:08:52.69
How many bodies do
we get on this earth?
00:08:52.73\00:08:55.43
You get one, so if I mess it up,
00:08:55.46\00:08:58.20
I don't get another one
00:08:58.23\00:08:59.57
until the day of
the resurrection.
00:08:59.60\00:09:02.30
So that's principle number two.
00:09:02.34\00:09:04.44
Principle number three
00:09:04.47\00:09:06.07
is a couple pages
back in Chapter 3.
00:09:06.11\00:09:09.44
1 Corinthians 3:16,
00:09:09.48\00:09:15.92
The Bible says,
00:09:15.95\00:09:18.02
"Do you not know that
you are the temple of God,
00:09:18.05\00:09:22.99
and that the Spirit
of God dwells in you.
00:09:23.02\00:09:26.03
If anyone defiles
the temple of God,
00:09:26.06\00:09:29.36
God will destroy him for
the temple of God is holy,
00:09:29.40\00:09:32.87
which temple you are."
00:09:32.90\00:09:35.10
Now that kind of
reiterates a little bit more
00:09:35.14\00:09:37.04
what the last verse said.
00:09:37.07\00:09:39.37
But what the Bible is
telling us is simply this.
00:09:39.41\00:09:42.81
Don't do anything that would
destroy the body or the mind,
00:09:42.84\00:09:48.32
not only because
it belongs to God,
00:09:48.35\00:09:51.05
but He has also given it
to you to use on this earth.
00:09:51.09\00:09:55.02
Can you say amen?
00:09:55.06\00:09:56.39
And when we destroy
that body or that mind,
00:09:56.42\00:09:59.36
it's going to
affect our happiness,
00:09:59.39\00:10:01.76
even right here and right now.
00:10:01.80\00:10:04.40
So God loves us enough
to give us these principles.
00:10:04.43\00:10:07.80
In fact, let's put
all three on the screen.
00:10:07.84\00:10:10.87
Principle number one,
00:10:10.91\00:10:12.27
"Our health habits
should glorify God."
00:10:12.31\00:10:15.51
Number two,
00:10:15.54\00:10:16.88
"Our body is
holy, it belongs to Him,
00:10:16.91\00:10:19.45
therefore we
should take care of it."
00:10:19.48\00:10:21.52
And principle number three,
00:10:21.55\00:10:23.05
"We are not to
engage in any activity
00:10:23.08\00:10:26.09
that destroys the body."
00:10:26.12\00:10:28.79
That's it.
00:10:28.82\00:10:30.16
That's God's health
plan for the human family.
00:10:30.19\00:10:33.96
See, if you were to read
00:10:34.00\00:10:35.33
all the health care
laws and bills today,
00:10:35.36\00:10:37.93
you would likely read about
hundreds and hundreds of pages
00:10:37.97\00:10:40.84
filled with things
and complex language.
00:10:40.87\00:10:43.51
God is pretty simple, amen?
00:10:43.54\00:10:45.64
Three principles,
00:10:45.67\00:10:47.01
He doesn't tell
us 100,000 things
00:10:47.04\00:10:49.24
we can and can't do.
00:10:49.28\00:10:50.78
He says, "Listen,
here are the principles.
00:10:50.81\00:10:53.38
You apply it to your
life in your situation
00:10:53.42\00:10:56.92
and God's Holy
Spirit will guide you."
00:10:56.95\00:10:59.95
Three simple principles.
00:10:59.99\00:11:03.36
Now let me ask you a question.
00:11:03.39\00:11:07.06
How many of you would
like to own a Mercedes Benz?
00:11:07.10\00:11:10.57
Now, come on, you can be honest,
00:11:10.60\00:11:11.93
how many would just
love to have someone
00:11:11.97\00:11:13.30
give them a Mercedes Benz?
00:11:13.34\00:11:14.97
Okay, well I don't
believe half of you
00:11:15.00\00:11:16.34
'cause half of you
don't have your hands up.
00:11:16.37\00:11:17.71
If someone offered it to
me for free, I would take it.
00:11:17.74\00:11:20.41
Now Mercedes Benz is known to be
00:11:20.44\00:11:23.51
one of the best
automobiles in the world.
00:11:23.55\00:11:25.85
It's put through
hundreds of quality tests,
00:11:25.88\00:11:28.72
so that when
you finally get one,
00:11:28.75\00:11:31.02
you know that you're
getting something good.
00:11:31.05\00:11:34.36
But let's suppose that
when I got the Mercedes Benz
00:11:34.39\00:11:37.59
in the glove
compartment should be a what?
00:11:37.63\00:11:40.90
An owner's manual.
00:11:40.93\00:11:42.53
That owner's
manual details for me
00:11:42.56\00:11:44.97
how to take care of this car,
00:11:45.00\00:11:47.34
how often to change
the oil and the air filter,
00:11:47.37\00:11:50.94
what kind of gas to put in it,
00:11:50.97\00:11:52.77
all these things
that I need to know
00:11:52.81\00:11:55.04
to keep it good and
running and healthy.
00:11:55.08\00:11:59.11
But what would happen if
when I went to the gas station,
00:11:59.15\00:12:02.55
I thought, you know what,
00:12:02.58\00:12:04.02
instead of
putting diesel in here,
00:12:04.05\00:12:05.55
because that costs more money,
00:12:05.59\00:12:07.06
I'm just gonna
put regular gas in.
00:12:07.09\00:12:09.69
What would happen
to my Mercedes Benz?
00:12:09.72\00:12:12.56
Pretty soon,
00:12:12.59\00:12:13.93
it would be in the
repair shop with a big bill.
00:12:13.96\00:12:17.20
Now, can I blame
Mercedes Benz for that?
00:12:17.23\00:12:20.50
I can't, because I
ignored the owner's manual.
00:12:20.54\00:12:25.24
But you know, sometimes
that's the way we are with God.
00:12:25.27\00:12:27.91
We ignore His health principles.
00:12:27.94\00:12:29.78
And then we blame God
00:12:29.81\00:12:31.21
when something
negative or bad happens to us.
00:12:31.25\00:12:34.85
That's not fair.
00:12:34.88\00:12:36.52
But see what God has said is,
00:12:36.55\00:12:38.55
even if we've engaged
in unhealthful practices,
00:12:38.59\00:12:41.56
He says, "I still love you.
00:12:41.59\00:12:43.69
I want to deliver you.
00:12:43.73\00:12:45.26
And I want to set you
free, if you will let Me."
00:12:45.29\00:12:47.86
Can you say amen? Amen.
00:12:47.90\00:12:49.40
So here's what
we're gonna do tonight.
00:12:49.43\00:12:51.67
We're gonna take these
three simple health principles,
00:12:51.70\00:12:55.47
and we're gonna apply
them to some specific things
00:12:55.50\00:12:59.01
that people struggle
with, in our world today.
00:12:59.04\00:13:02.58
Now I want to let
you know ahead of time
00:13:02.61\00:13:04.68
that we're
probably going to tread
00:13:04.71\00:13:06.61
on some sensitive subjects.
00:13:06.65\00:13:09.05
It is not meant to
hurt or offend anyone
00:13:09.08\00:13:12.22
or to make them feel bad,
00:13:12.25\00:13:13.92
because the truth is,
00:13:13.96\00:13:15.52
every person
sitting here right now,
00:13:15.56\00:13:17.73
including myself,
00:13:17.76\00:13:19.09
we all have some kind
of addiction in our life.
00:13:19.13\00:13:21.53
Is that not true?
00:13:21.56\00:13:22.96
For some, it's a
physical addiction
00:13:23.00\00:13:24.80
that's just more visible.
00:13:24.83\00:13:26.53
For others, it
may be a spiritual
00:13:26.57\00:13:28.47
or some kind of
emotional addiction
00:13:28.50\00:13:30.44
that nobody else can really see.
00:13:30.47\00:13:32.94
We've all got our
faults and our weaknesses.
00:13:32.97\00:13:35.78
God wants to give us
victory over them all.
00:13:35.81\00:13:39.08
And no person is
better than somebody else
00:13:39.11\00:13:42.22
in God's eyes.
00:13:42.25\00:13:43.59
Can we all agree on
that? Can you say amen?
00:13:43.62\00:13:45.79
So here's what we're gonna do.
00:13:45.82\00:13:48.19
I wanna tell you a
quick story to lead into this
00:13:48.22\00:13:50.56
about Dr. Richard Walden.
00:13:50.59\00:13:53.70
He was a physician in California
00:13:53.73\00:13:56.36
and he got tired of all
his patients coming to him
00:13:56.40\00:13:59.80
and asking for some
kind of pill or medication
00:13:59.83\00:14:03.47
to take away
their aches and pains,
00:14:03.51\00:14:05.87
while still continuing
their unhealthful practices
00:14:05.91\00:14:09.71
that caused it in the beginning,
00:14:09.74\00:14:11.98
and he couldn't seem to
get through to his patients,
00:14:12.01\00:14:14.62
you need to make
different lifestyle choices.
00:14:14.65\00:14:17.32
So here's what he did.
00:14:17.35\00:14:19.45
He wrote a little booklet.
00:14:19.49\00:14:21.79
He put it in his
waiting room, and he titled it,
00:14:21.82\00:14:26.26
"I'll tell you
how to die younger."
00:14:26.29\00:14:29.90
Can you imagine that?
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.40
This is a bold
physician, 'cause, you know,
00:14:31.43\00:14:33.34
when you're in a
doctor's waiting room,
00:14:33.37\00:14:34.97
what are you usually doing?
00:14:35.00\00:14:37.44
You're waiting and reading.
00:14:37.47\00:14:39.97
So he knew his
patients would pick it up.
00:14:40.01\00:14:42.51
And so he
listed about 10 things.
00:14:42.54\00:14:45.35
This is the first thing
that he put in his booklet
00:14:45.38\00:14:48.68
about how to die younger.
00:14:48.72\00:14:50.55
He wrote,
00:14:50.59\00:14:51.92
"If you want to die
younger, smoke heavily."
00:14:51.95\00:14:56.36
Now we're gonna
pause here for a second
00:14:56.39\00:14:58.89
because many
times a person may say,
00:14:58.93\00:15:00.76
"No, no, wait a minute.
00:15:00.80\00:15:02.13
The Bible does not
say Thou shall not smoke."
00:15:02.16\00:15:05.97
It's true, the
Bible doesn't say that.
00:15:06.00\00:15:08.20
The Bible also doesn't say,
00:15:08.24\00:15:09.57
"Thou shall not snuff cocaine
00:15:09.60\00:15:11.67
or thou shall
not inject heroin."
00:15:11.71\00:15:14.58
But there are
principles in the Bible
00:15:14.61\00:15:17.65
that will help us
make our decisions.
00:15:17.68\00:15:20.88
Now the thing is
we want to understand,
00:15:20.92\00:15:22.58
I know many beautiful Christians
00:15:22.62\00:15:25.72
who loved God
with all their heart,
00:15:25.75\00:15:28.29
and they have struggled
with this particular practice.
00:15:28.32\00:15:32.36
In fact, I have
had people tell me,
00:15:32.39\00:15:34.60
this is one of
the hardest addictions
00:15:34.63\00:15:37.30
to be able to stop.
00:15:37.33\00:15:39.87
But you know, God
has something better.
00:15:39.90\00:15:43.54
Let's just take a look
00:15:43.57\00:15:44.97
at some
scientific and medical facts
00:15:45.01\00:15:47.71
about smoking that probably
won't surprise any of us.
00:15:47.74\00:15:51.78
We are told there
are 18 active poisons
00:15:51.81\00:15:55.28
in tobacco alone,
00:15:55.32\00:15:56.95
the main ones
being nicotine and tar.
00:15:56.99\00:15:59.92
Did you know that
half a drop of raw nicotine
00:15:59.95\00:16:04.23
would kill a rabbit?
00:16:04.26\00:16:05.89
Just half a drop
00:16:05.93\00:16:07.40
and there's two and a half drops
00:16:07.43\00:16:09.06
of nicotine in every cigarette.
00:16:09.10\00:16:11.83
You say, well then
00:16:11.87\00:16:13.20
why doesn't it
kill us instantly?
00:16:13.23\00:16:15.04
You know why?
00:16:15.07\00:16:16.40
Because the Bible says
00:16:16.44\00:16:17.77
our bodies are fearfully
and wonderfully made, amen?
00:16:17.81\00:16:20.98
Amen.
00:16:21.01\00:16:22.34
It's amazing that
00:16:22.38\00:16:23.71
whenever something
negative happens to the body,
00:16:23.75\00:16:25.71
God created it to
start healing itself.
00:16:25.75\00:16:29.05
Already properties
and agencies go into place
00:16:29.08\00:16:31.95
when we cut ourselves or
a foreign substance goes in,
00:16:31.99\00:16:35.29
and the body
starts to make itself well
00:16:35.32\00:16:38.26
by God's grace.
00:16:38.29\00:16:40.06
However, once we start doing
these things over and over,
00:16:40.10\00:16:44.30
over a long period of time,
00:16:44.33\00:16:46.13
eventually it
catches up with us.
00:16:46.17\00:16:49.84
Since 1937,
00:16:49.87\00:16:51.47
death from lung cancer
has increased four times.
00:16:51.51\00:16:54.98
There are 700,000 people a year
00:16:55.01\00:16:58.18
who die from
cigarette related diseases.
00:16:58.21\00:17:01.28
It's a mind and
body destroying habit.
00:17:01.32\00:17:04.95
And you'll notice even
the Surgeon General, you know,
00:17:04.99\00:17:07.49
and governmental standards
aren't exactly the highest.
00:17:07.52\00:17:10.43
But even the Surgeon
General. puts a warning
00:17:10.46\00:17:12.99
on every single
pack of cigarettes.
00:17:13.03\00:17:18.33
Now just looking at
those statistics alone,
00:17:18.37\00:17:22.14
knowing what it does
to one's mind and body,
00:17:22.17\00:17:25.57
if we were to apply
00:17:25.61\00:17:27.41
the three health
principles from the Bible,
00:17:27.44\00:17:31.08
what do you think?
00:17:31.11\00:17:32.81
Smoking, is that a health habit
that glorifies God, yes or no?
00:17:32.85\00:17:36.85
Not really.
00:17:36.89\00:17:38.35
Our body is holy
and belongs to God.
00:17:38.39\00:17:40.36
Is smoking taking care
of the body, yes or no?
00:17:40.39\00:17:43.49
Not really.
00:17:43.53\00:17:44.86
Is it something that
destroys the mind and the body?
00:17:44.89\00:17:47.83
Yes.
00:17:47.86\00:17:49.20
So according to the
health principles of the Bible,
00:17:49.23\00:17:51.40
not my opinion, you
know, not Mark's opinion,
00:17:51.43\00:17:54.50
is smoking something
00:17:54.54\00:17:55.87
that God wants
to be in our life?
00:17:55.90\00:17:58.81
It is not.
00:17:58.84\00:18:00.51
You say but, Pastor
Dave, I've known that.
00:18:00.54\00:18:04.98
I wanna be able to stop.
00:18:05.01\00:18:06.35
I just can't seem
to be able to do it.
00:18:06.38\00:18:09.38
Brothers and sisters,
00:18:09.42\00:18:10.75
I want you to know
I can understand that.
00:18:10.79\00:18:12.49
And there's something
00:18:12.52\00:18:13.86
I want you to
hear loud and clear,
00:18:13.89\00:18:15.36
regardless of what
anybody else may tell you.
00:18:15.39\00:18:19.33
God does not love you
any less because you smoke.
00:18:19.36\00:18:24.17
Can you say amen? Amen.
00:18:24.20\00:18:25.53
And He's not gonna love
you anymore when you quit.
00:18:25.57\00:18:29.50
He already loves you now
as much as He possibly can.
00:18:29.54\00:18:34.04
Because sometimes
we get the impression,
00:18:34.08\00:18:35.88
oh, you know someone who smokes
00:18:35.91\00:18:37.55
or someone who struggles
with this health habit,
00:18:37.58\00:18:39.98
they're inferior,
they're loved less by God,
00:18:40.02\00:18:42.68
that is absolutely untrue.
00:18:42.72\00:18:44.39
God will not love you anymore
00:18:44.42\00:18:46.45
when you stop whatever
that health practice is.
00:18:46.49\00:18:49.32
You say, "Well,
then why should I stop?"
00:18:49.36\00:18:51.63
If a person stops,
00:18:51.66\00:18:53.60
it's not because it's going
to gain them righteousness.
00:18:53.63\00:18:56.90
It's not because it's
going to make God love them more
00:18:56.93\00:18:59.57
or they're going
get into heaven easier
00:18:59.60\00:19:01.37
if they choose to stop.
00:19:01.40\00:19:03.27
It's because inside
they had been convicted
00:19:03.30\00:19:05.77
and they're saying,
00:19:05.81\00:19:07.14
"God, I want to take
care of my mind and body.
00:19:07.18\00:19:09.11
I'm surrendering it to you
00:19:09.14\00:19:10.71
and I am asking you to
take this out of my life."
00:19:10.75\00:19:14.32
It's a response
to the love of God.
00:19:14.35\00:19:16.89
You don't stop to
make God love you.
00:19:16.92\00:19:19.12
I choose to stop
00:19:19.15\00:19:20.49
because I'm
responding to what He did for me
00:19:20.52\00:19:23.22
on the cross of Calvary.
00:19:23.26\00:19:25.09
If that makes
sense, can you say amen?
00:19:25.13\00:19:26.90
Amen.
00:19:26.93\00:19:28.26
But you know,
smoking is not the only thing
00:19:28.30\00:19:29.90
that we could struggle with.
00:19:29.93\00:19:32.53
Notice the second thing
00:19:32.57\00:19:34.44
that's listed in
Dr. Walden's pamphlet.
00:19:34.47\00:19:37.14
I'd love to get a
hold of this pamphlet,
00:19:37.17\00:19:38.67
but I've never
been able to find it.
00:19:38.71\00:19:40.98
Number two, he said "If
you want to die younger,
00:19:41.01\00:19:44.35
drink alcohol,
even in moderation."
00:19:44.38\00:19:49.98
Now, we perhaps
should tread softly here
00:19:50.02\00:19:54.52
because right now alcohol
00:19:54.56\00:19:56.06
is probably a
billion dollar business
00:19:56.09\00:19:59.39
in this country
00:19:59.43\00:20:00.76
and in this world probably more.
00:20:00.80\00:20:03.47
But it is also the number
one drug problem that exists.
00:20:03.50\00:20:10.04
So the question is,
00:20:10.07\00:20:11.54
how does God look
at the idea of alcohol
00:20:11.57\00:20:14.51
'cause there's
mixed opinions about this.
00:20:14.54\00:20:17.55
Now the Bible
speaks specifically on it.
00:20:17.58\00:20:19.91
But first, let's just start
00:20:19.95\00:20:21.38
with some
scientific and medical facts
00:20:21.42\00:20:23.99
that most of us are
probably aware of anyway.
00:20:24.02\00:20:27.89
Fact number one
00:20:27.92\00:20:29.26
is that alcohol
costs billions of dollars
00:20:29.29\00:20:31.96
in lost work, medical
expenses, and auto accidents.
00:20:31.99\00:20:36.43
There's a 100,000 deaths
every year due to alcohol,
00:20:36.46\00:20:40.34
800,000 of them on the
road in auto accidents.
00:20:40.37\00:20:44.81
It's a significant
factor in violent crimes
00:20:44.84\00:20:48.31
like rape and murder, etc.
00:20:48.34\00:20:51.25
And you know, the one
that really struck me,
00:20:51.28\00:20:54.35
61 million families
have been affected by alcohol
00:20:54.38\00:21:00.06
in a negative way.
00:21:00.09\00:21:02.69
How many families
have been torn apart
00:21:02.72\00:21:06.73
because of
something that was done
00:21:06.76\00:21:08.90
or said by a person
00:21:08.93\00:21:10.87
who was under the
influence of something else?
00:21:10.90\00:21:14.74
Words that could
never be taken back,
00:21:14.77\00:21:18.01
actions that you
could never undo,
00:21:18.04\00:21:20.61
61 million families
00:21:20.64\00:21:22.54
and I would guarantee you
the number is higher than that,
00:21:22.58\00:21:25.05
because that's only the
cases that had been reported.
00:21:25.08\00:21:27.58
That doesn't even
count the secret things
00:21:27.62\00:21:29.85
that happen in
silence every single day.
00:21:29.88\00:21:35.72
Now, that's worldly statistics.
00:21:35.76\00:21:38.46
But does God say
anything about this?
00:21:38.49\00:21:41.66
And He does.
00:21:41.70\00:21:43.03
I wanna invite you
to turn in your Bibles
00:21:43.06\00:21:44.77
to the Book of Proverbs.
00:21:44.80\00:21:47.27
What book are we going to?
00:21:47.30\00:21:49.07
Proverbs Chapter 20.
00:21:49.10\00:21:51.64
And we're going
to look at verse 1.
00:21:51.67\00:21:54.68
The Bible says, "Wine is a what?
00:21:54.71\00:21:59.11
A mocker and
strong drink is a brawler,
00:21:59.15\00:22:03.69
and whoever is led
astray by it is not wise."
00:22:03.72\00:22:08.29
Now, let me ask you,
before we even dig into that,
00:22:08.32\00:22:10.69
does that sound like a positive
00:22:10.73\00:22:12.86
or a negative
comment on alcohol?
00:22:12.89\00:22:14.70
What do you think?
00:22:14.73\00:22:16.20
That's pretty negative.
00:22:16.23\00:22:17.73
I mean, God comes
right out and He says,
00:22:17.77\00:22:19.50
"Listen, alcohol will mock you.
00:22:19.53\00:22:22.70
It will make a fool of you."
00:22:22.74\00:22:25.81
And if you've ever seen someone
who is under the influence,
00:22:25.84\00:22:30.61
whether it be yourself
00:22:30.65\00:22:32.01
at an inopportune
moment or someone else,
00:22:32.05\00:22:35.45
we realize what alcohol can do.
00:22:35.48\00:22:38.29
So when someone's
under the influence,
00:22:38.32\00:22:40.06
and they no longer
have control of their mind,
00:22:40.09\00:22:42.72
they usually go one of two ways.
00:22:42.76\00:22:45.03
Either A, alcohol mocks them
00:22:45.06\00:22:47.96
because they lose control
00:22:48.00\00:22:49.76
and they either
do something silly,
00:22:49.80\00:22:52.03
or something stupid,
00:22:52.07\00:22:53.60
or something that's
gonna humiliate them
00:22:53.64\00:22:55.90
for the rest of their life
00:22:55.94\00:22:57.94
because they're
not thinking anymore.
00:22:57.97\00:23:02.21
But those that they're not doing
00:23:02.24\00:23:03.58
something silly or humiliated,
00:23:03.61\00:23:05.58
something they would never
do under normal circumstances.
00:23:05.61\00:23:08.52
If you go to the
other side of the continuum,
00:23:08.55\00:23:11.32
there are those
that don't get silly.
00:23:11.35\00:23:14.09
They get mean,
and angry, and nasty.
00:23:14.12\00:23:18.13
Because what else
did Solomon write?
00:23:18.16\00:23:20.10
Strong drink is a what?
00:23:20.13\00:23:22.03
Is a brawler.
00:23:22.06\00:23:24.10
How many barroom
fights have there been
00:23:24.13\00:23:26.57
because of alcohol?
00:23:26.60\00:23:28.70
How many verbal
and physical fights
00:23:28.74\00:23:31.44
have there been and
you know what's sad?
00:23:31.47\00:23:34.84
How much spousal and child abuse
00:23:34.88\00:23:39.41
has been a result of somebody
being under the influence,
00:23:39.45\00:23:43.22
doing something
they would never do
00:23:43.25\00:23:45.49
under normal circumstances
00:23:45.52\00:23:47.86
and when you
lose control one time,
00:23:47.89\00:23:50.86
it can affect you
for the rest of your life
00:23:50.89\00:23:54.76
because you're giving your
mind over to something else.
00:23:54.80\00:23:59.43
And that's why
God loves us too much
00:23:59.47\00:24:02.24
to stay silent about it.
00:24:02.27\00:24:04.01
He says, it is not
wise to be led astray
00:24:04.04\00:24:06.91
by wine or alcohol,
00:24:06.94\00:24:08.54
stay away from it.
00:24:08.58\00:24:09.98
It's not gonna help us live
00:24:10.01\00:24:11.48
a healthy,
happy, and abundant life
00:24:11.51\00:24:14.25
that God wants.
00:24:14.28\00:24:17.05
But you know something
that really disturbs me,
00:24:17.09\00:24:20.46
is when I hear people
and even churches say,
00:24:20.49\00:24:24.03
"Oh, now wait a minute.
00:24:24.06\00:24:25.79
Jesus drank alcohol,
00:24:25.83\00:24:28.10
and He provided
it for the people
00:24:28.13\00:24:29.83
at the wedding of Cana."
00:24:29.86\00:24:33.07
Friends, I can
tell you from the Bible
00:24:33.10\00:24:34.90
and the Bible alone,
that is absolutely untrue.
00:24:34.94\00:24:38.71
That is just the devil's
way of twisting the scriptures
00:24:38.74\00:24:41.74
to try to get us to do
something to our bodies
00:24:41.78\00:24:44.41
that he can use to take control.
00:24:44.45\00:24:47.62
Jesus never
drank alcoholic wine.
00:24:47.65\00:24:51.75
You say, "Well,
how do you know that?"
00:24:51.79\00:24:53.59
Two reasons, we
just read something
00:24:53.62\00:24:56.49
in the Book of
Proverbs, didn't we?
00:24:56.52\00:24:57.86
Yes.
00:24:57.89\00:24:59.23
Now let me ask you something.
00:24:59.26\00:25:01.50
Do we agree that Jesus
lived a sinless life, yes or no?
00:25:01.53\00:25:05.20
Do we agree that
Jesus lived in harmony
00:25:05.23\00:25:07.84
with all the principles
of the Scripture, yes or no?
00:25:07.87\00:25:11.14
Indeed,
00:25:11.17\00:25:12.51
they had the Old
Testament at that time.
00:25:12.54\00:25:15.34
They had the Book of Proverbs.
00:25:15.38\00:25:17.91
I am not willing to say
that Jesus purposely ignored
00:25:17.95\00:25:21.72
what was written
right here in Proverbs,
00:25:21.75\00:25:24.62
and went ahead and drank alcohol
00:25:24.65\00:25:26.86
and left it as an
example for future generations
00:25:26.89\00:25:30.66
after He would have read
exactly what Solomon wrote.
00:25:30.69\00:25:33.86
Because after
all, Solomon wrote it,
00:25:33.90\00:25:35.80
Solomon was under
the inspiration of who?
00:25:35.83\00:25:38.63
The Holy Spirit,
00:25:38.67\00:25:40.27
Jesus left the
Holy Spirit for us.
00:25:40.30\00:25:42.27
Jesus would not
contradict His own word,
00:25:42.30\00:25:45.24
by word or by example.
00:25:45.27\00:25:48.08
That's reason number one.
00:25:48.11\00:25:50.25
Reason number two,
00:25:50.28\00:25:51.98
is something that sometimes
confuses people is this.
00:25:52.01\00:25:56.32
Did you know that
00:25:56.35\00:25:57.69
in the English
version of the Bible,
00:25:57.72\00:25:59.89
it uses the word wine
00:25:59.92\00:26:02.36
to describe both the
alcohol and grape juice?
00:26:02.39\00:26:06.56
Did you know that?
It uses the same word.
00:26:06.59\00:26:09.16
Wine can describe fermented wine
00:26:09.20\00:26:11.63
which is alcohol,
00:26:11.67\00:26:13.00
but it can also
describe the unfermented
00:26:13.03\00:26:15.50
which is the pure
juice of the grape.
00:26:15.54\00:26:17.87
It uses the same
word, the English version
00:26:17.91\00:26:20.18
does not make a differentiation.
00:26:20.21\00:26:23.24
You see, well then, how
are you supposed to know
00:26:23.28\00:26:26.21
which kind of
wine it's talking about
00:26:26.25\00:26:28.05
when the Bible uses that word?
00:26:28.08\00:26:29.68
How do you know if
it's speaking of alcohol
00:26:29.72\00:26:31.79
or of the fruit of the mind?
00:26:31.82\00:26:33.99
You have to look at the context
00:26:34.02\00:26:36.29
and it will
usually be very clear.
00:26:36.32\00:26:38.19
For example,
00:26:38.23\00:26:39.56
since we're
right here in Proverbs.
00:26:39.59\00:26:41.33
Proverbs 21, it
said, "Wine is a mocker."
00:26:41.36\00:26:45.53
Now so far it hadn't
told us which kind of wine
00:26:45.57\00:26:48.47
but if you read
the very next sentence,
00:26:48.50\00:26:50.41
it clarifies,
strong drink is a brawler,
00:26:50.44\00:26:54.48
or some version
say intoxicating drink.
00:26:54.51\00:26:56.98
Well, what
would strong drink be?
00:26:57.01\00:26:58.68
Would that be grape juice?
00:26:58.71\00:27:00.62
No, obviously that's talking
about the alcoholic wine.
00:27:00.65\00:27:05.45
And the Bible says,
"Stay away from it."
00:27:05.49\00:27:09.66
So see when the
Bible speaks of Jesus
00:27:09.69\00:27:12.69
providing wine at
the wedding of Cana,
00:27:12.73\00:27:15.13
that's not alcoholic wine.
00:27:15.16\00:27:17.27
You think He
would ignore Proverbs
00:27:17.30\00:27:19.43
and provide something like that
00:27:19.47\00:27:21.17
for all the people
in the wedding of Cana
00:27:21.20\00:27:23.47
when He is the Son of God?
00:27:23.51\00:27:26.14
It's talking about the
pure fruit of the vine.
00:27:26.17\00:27:30.81
See, that's why it's important
00:27:30.85\00:27:32.18
to study the
Bible in its context,
00:27:32.21\00:27:34.98
not just pick out one verse,
00:27:35.02\00:27:37.15
but go to all the verses
that talk about this subject,
00:27:37.19\00:27:41.06
then we will
discover Bible truth, amen?
00:27:41.09\00:27:43.73
Amen.
00:27:43.76\00:27:45.09
Actually, while we're here,
00:27:45.13\00:27:46.46
that there is one
more verse in Proverbs
00:27:46.49\00:27:48.03
that talks about alcohol,
00:27:48.06\00:27:50.00
and it's rather poetic actually.
00:27:50.03\00:27:52.17
Let's go to Proverbs 23:29,
00:27:52.20\00:27:57.41
the Bible says, "Who has woe?
00:27:57.44\00:28:01.34
Who has sorrow?
00:28:01.38\00:28:03.08
Who has contentions
and who has complaints?
00:28:03.11\00:28:06.35
Who has wounds without cause?
00:28:06.38\00:28:08.68
Who has redness of the eyes?
00:28:08.72\00:28:11.12
Those who linger
long at the wine,
00:28:11.15\00:28:14.09
those who go in
search of mixed wine,
00:28:14.12\00:28:17.16
do not look on the
wine when it is red
00:28:17.19\00:28:19.89
when it sparkles in the cup,
00:28:19.93\00:28:21.83
when it swirls around smoothly.
00:28:21.86\00:28:24.47
At the last it
bites like a serpent
00:28:24.50\00:28:26.70
and stings like a viper.
00:28:26.74\00:28:28.57
Your eyes will
see strange things
00:28:28.60\00:28:31.07
and your heart will
utter perverse things."
00:28:31.11\00:28:35.44
Wow, that sounds like someone
00:28:35.48\00:28:38.48
who has
experienced that, doesn't it?
00:28:38.51\00:28:41.28
I mean, just notice the
summary of what he writes
00:28:41.32\00:28:43.65
in four or five simple verses.
00:28:43.69\00:28:46.25
The Bible says,
"Alcohol causes woe,
00:28:46.29\00:28:48.36
and sorrow, and
contention in people's lives.
00:28:48.39\00:28:51.53
I think the King James
says it causes babbling.
00:28:51.56\00:28:53.76
Ever heard someone try to talk
00:28:53.80\00:28:55.36
when they're
under the influence.
00:28:55.40\00:28:57.07
It causes us to
see strange things.
00:28:57.10\00:28:59.73
We will say cruel
or perverse things.
00:28:59.77\00:29:02.84
And it's compared to
the poison of a snake.
00:29:02.87\00:29:07.04
I mean, what does it say?
00:29:07.08\00:29:08.41
It stings like a viper
00:29:08.44\00:29:09.78
or some version
say, like an adder.
00:29:09.81\00:29:12.78
Now see, I've heard people say,
00:29:12.81\00:29:14.15
oh, well, you know, it's
okay, just do it in moderation.
00:29:14.18\00:29:18.52
Does the Bible say that?
00:29:18.55\00:29:21.22
Or is that just man's theory?
00:29:21.26\00:29:23.12
I mean, if I stood up
here and said, "You know what?
00:29:23.16\00:29:25.73
I have a cup here of
the venom of a cobra,
00:29:25.76\00:29:29.33
who would like to drink it?
00:29:29.36\00:29:31.00
How many people
would raise their hand?
00:29:31.03\00:29:33.34
Nobody but suppose I
said, "You know what?
00:29:33.37\00:29:36.30
Just have a little bit,
just drink it in moderation."
00:29:36.34\00:29:39.91
Would you still raise your hand?
00:29:39.94\00:29:42.01
Certainly not.
00:29:42.04\00:29:43.38
Why would we want even
a little bit of poison?
00:29:43.41\00:29:47.45
Why would we even want
a little bit of a drink
00:29:47.48\00:29:50.95
that does all these
things, causes sorrow and woes,
00:29:50.99\00:29:54.62
takes control of our mind.
00:29:54.66\00:29:56.22
I mean, think about it,
00:29:56.26\00:29:57.83
who would invent a drink
that does all these things
00:29:57.86\00:30:01.70
and causes us to
lose control of the mind?
00:30:01.73\00:30:04.87
Would God invent that for us?
00:30:04.90\00:30:07.04
No, that would be the devil.
00:30:07.07\00:30:09.20
It's his way
00:30:09.24\00:30:11.04
of trying to get us to hand
our decision making abilities
00:30:11.07\00:30:15.54
over to someone
or something else.
00:30:15.58\00:30:18.75
'Cause once we surrender
that control, believe me,
00:30:18.78\00:30:22.68
that is how the devil
will be happy to step in.
00:30:22.72\00:30:27.89
I remember when
I was a teenager,
00:30:27.92\00:30:30.93
my first year of
college, first couple years
00:30:30.96\00:30:33.53
I didn't go to a
Christian college,
00:30:33.56\00:30:34.90
I went to a public college.
00:30:34.93\00:30:37.37
And lot of times I can
remember on Monday mornings,
00:30:37.40\00:30:40.20
I'll be sitting in a classroom
waiting for the class to start
00:30:40.24\00:30:43.30
and some of the other
students would be talking about,
00:30:43.34\00:30:45.77
you know, what
they did on the weekend.
00:30:45.81\00:30:48.11
And I will just kind of,
you know, sit there and listen
00:30:48.14\00:30:50.35
'cause yeah, I
guess I was eavesdropping,
00:30:50.38\00:30:52.71
I wanted to hear
what they had to say.
00:30:52.75\00:30:54.68
You know, they'd say
things like, "Oh, yeah, man.
00:30:54.72\00:30:56.89
I went out to a party,
00:30:56.92\00:30:58.45
Man, I drank it
up and that night
00:30:58.49\00:31:00.62
I was just puking in the toilet.
00:31:00.66\00:31:02.49
Man, I had a great time."
00:31:02.52\00:31:05.13
And I'm sitting there thinking
to myself, no, wait a minute.
00:31:05.16\00:31:08.70
You went to a party.
00:31:08.73\00:31:11.03
And you drank so much alcohol
00:31:11.07\00:31:12.80
that you spent the night
00:31:12.83\00:31:14.17
sticking your head
in a nasty old toilet
00:31:14.20\00:31:16.44
with who knows what inside,
00:31:16.47\00:31:18.34
puking your
guts out, that's fun?
00:31:18.37\00:31:23.01
I mean, even if I
wasn't a believer,
00:31:23.04\00:31:25.01
I would have a hard
time thinking that's fun.
00:31:25.05\00:31:28.72
In fact, I will hear people say,
00:31:28.75\00:31:30.49
"Well, you know, I gotta
drink to have a good time."
00:31:30.52\00:31:34.32
Yeah, but the day after
00:31:34.36\00:31:36.19
you don't even
remember the good time
00:31:36.22\00:31:37.96
that you think you had.
00:31:37.99\00:31:39.39
See, I don't understand that.
00:31:39.43\00:31:41.16
In fact, you may find that
you did or said some things
00:31:41.20\00:31:44.27
that you're gonna regret
for the rest of your life.
00:31:44.30\00:31:47.80
And it happens frequently.
00:31:47.84\00:31:51.51
Listen, my friend Kevin,
00:31:51.54\00:31:52.87
when I was
probably about 20 years old,
00:31:52.91\00:31:56.01
my best friend
was a guy named Kevin.
00:31:56.04\00:31:58.88
Now, Kevin wasn't a Christian.
00:31:58.91\00:32:00.75
I'm not sure how, you know,
00:32:00.78\00:32:02.32
Christian and non Christian
became such great friends.
00:32:02.35\00:32:05.15
I guess that's just God
bringing opposites together
00:32:05.19\00:32:08.22
so they can
somehow help each other.
00:32:08.26\00:32:10.43
But he was a
good friend of mine.
00:32:10.46\00:32:12.73
And I remember one day,
00:32:12.76\00:32:14.36
my mom handed me the newspaper
00:32:14.40\00:32:16.30
and said, "Is this Kevin?"
00:32:16.33\00:32:18.13
I said, "What are
you talking about?"
00:32:18.17\00:32:19.97
Now, I don't know if
they still do this today,
00:32:20.00\00:32:21.77
but in some newspapers,
00:32:21.80\00:32:23.14
they actually list the people
who were arrested in town,
00:32:23.17\00:32:27.11
and what they were arrested for.
00:32:27.14\00:32:28.91
I don't know if they just
do that to shame them or what?
00:32:28.94\00:32:31.58
And so I remember
00:32:31.61\00:32:32.95
seeing my
friend's name in there.
00:32:32.98\00:32:35.25
I said, "No, that
can't be the Kevin I know."
00:32:35.28\00:32:38.92
I thought, well,
come to think of it,
00:32:38.95\00:32:41.46
I haven't seen him
in the last couple days.
00:32:41.49\00:32:44.19
So I walked across the street
to where his grandparents live
00:32:44.23\00:32:47.53
'cause he stayed there a lot.
00:32:47.56\00:32:49.16
And I said, "Where's Kevin?"
00:32:49.20\00:32:52.03
And his grandpa
said, "Come here.
00:32:52.07\00:32:54.30
I gotta tell you something."
00:32:54.34\00:32:56.37
Oh, boy.
00:32:56.40\00:32:58.31
Kevin was in jail.
00:32:58.34\00:33:02.34
"In jail, for what?"
00:33:02.38\00:33:05.85
He said, "Look,
he doesn't want you
00:33:05.88\00:33:07.28
to come out and see him.
00:33:07.32\00:33:08.65
But if you insist
I'll take you out."
00:33:08.68\00:33:10.52
I'm like, "He's my best friend.
00:33:10.55\00:33:12.35
I don't care what he
said, I'm going out to see him."
00:33:12.39\00:33:16.22
And I remember we took a
trip out to the county jail.
00:33:16.26\00:33:18.89
And I went into the
little visitation room
00:33:18.93\00:33:21.23
where you got
to speak, you know,
00:33:21.26\00:33:22.63
between the thick glass,
00:33:22.66\00:33:24.27
you can only talk on the phone,
00:33:24.30\00:33:25.63
you can't even see, you
know, or touch each other.
00:33:25.67\00:33:27.90
And I remember he came out
00:33:27.94\00:33:29.57
with his hands cuffed
in his orange jumpsuit.
00:33:29.60\00:33:32.54
And as soon as he
saw me, he was mad.
00:33:32.57\00:33:35.01
He turned around and
tried to go back and said,
00:33:35.04\00:33:36.71
"Dave, I told you not to come."
00:33:36.75\00:33:39.45
I said, "Kevin, what
are you talking about?
00:33:39.48\00:33:41.08
I'm your best friend.
00:33:41.12\00:33:42.55
You should have told me."
00:33:42.58\00:33:45.15
And I remember
when he calmed down.
00:33:45.19\00:33:47.09
He finally sat there
and he told me his story.
00:33:47.12\00:33:49.26
I'll never forget
it as long as I live.
00:33:49.29\00:33:53.60
His girlfriend had
broken up with him.
00:33:53.63\00:33:57.63
You know breakups as a
teenager, that's not...
00:33:57.67\00:33:59.77
Well, it's not fun at any age.
00:33:59.80\00:34:02.64
But you know, it
devastated him so much
00:34:02.67\00:34:05.81
that for the next three days,
00:34:05.84\00:34:07.18
he went out with
another buddy of his
00:34:07.21\00:34:08.71
and they went
on a drinking binge
00:34:08.74\00:34:10.55
until 2 o'clock in the morning.
00:34:10.58\00:34:13.65
And when they
kicked them out of the bar,
00:34:13.68\00:34:16.58
they then went
out and vandalized
00:34:16.62\00:34:19.19
numerous cars and houses
00:34:19.22\00:34:22.02
for three nights in a row.
00:34:22.06\00:34:25.49
Eventually, the
police caught up to them.
00:34:25.53\00:34:28.16
Now he's in jail.
00:34:28.20\00:34:29.70
And you know what he told me?
00:34:29.73\00:34:31.73
He looked me straight
in the eyes and he said,
00:34:31.77\00:34:33.77
"Dave,
00:34:33.80\00:34:35.40
I don't even remember doing it."
00:34:35.44\00:34:40.48
You see, friends,
00:34:40.51\00:34:41.84
God has something better for us.
00:34:41.88\00:34:44.11
It's the happy,
healthy, and abundant life.
00:34:44.15\00:34:48.78
Now listen, before we move
on, I know for many people,
00:34:48.82\00:34:52.22
whether it be any kind
of addiction or struggle,
00:34:52.25\00:34:54.99
did you know that God has a plan
00:34:55.02\00:34:57.83
for victory for all of us.
00:34:57.86\00:34:59.19
Can you say amen?
00:34:59.23\00:35:00.56
He's got a five step plan,
00:35:00.60\00:35:01.93
and I want to
share that with you.
00:35:01.96\00:35:03.47
And this plan is
good for whatever weakness
00:35:03.50\00:35:05.87
that we're trying to overcome
00:35:05.90\00:35:07.74
'cause God doesn't present
us things like this and say,
00:35:07.77\00:35:10.11
you know what?
00:35:10.14\00:35:11.47
You got yourself into the mess.
00:35:11.51\00:35:12.97
Tough luck, you
get yourself out of it.
00:35:13.01\00:35:15.34
God doesn't work that way.
00:35:15.38\00:35:16.78
He says, "Listen,
it was your choice.
00:35:16.81\00:35:19.41
Yeah, it may be your fault.
00:35:19.45\00:35:20.78
But you know what?
00:35:20.82\00:35:22.15
I am right here beside you.
00:35:22.18\00:35:23.62
I will hold your hand
00:35:23.65\00:35:25.19
and I will walk you through it."
00:35:25.22\00:35:27.59
He never leaves
us nor forsakes us.
00:35:27.62\00:35:30.79
People might.
00:35:30.83\00:35:32.16
Sometimes the church
might, but Jesus won't.
00:35:32.19\00:35:34.96
Can you say amen? Amen.
00:35:35.00\00:35:36.46
Let's go through
those five principles.
00:35:36.50\00:35:37.97
I mean, I could spend all
night on the five principles,
00:35:38.00\00:35:40.34
but we're gonna do
them rather quickly here.
00:35:40.37\00:35:43.10
Principle number one,
00:35:43.14\00:35:44.77
tell God you made the
decision to quit whatever it is,
00:35:44.81\00:35:48.04
smoking, alcohol, pornography,
bad temper, you name it.
00:35:48.08\00:35:52.35
It begins with you,
with me, making a choice.
00:35:52.38\00:35:57.49
Because before God can
help us, not because He can't,
00:35:57.52\00:36:01.46
but because He won't
unless we choose to let Him.
00:36:01.49\00:36:05.79
God will not force
us to make any choice
00:36:05.83\00:36:09.56
or give anything
up against our will.
00:36:09.60\00:36:12.17
It has to start with our choice.
00:36:12.20\00:36:15.14
So I have to say, God, I
am choosing today to quit.
00:36:15.17\00:36:18.54
I don't know how
I'm gonna do that.
00:36:18.57\00:36:20.11
But I'm choosing today I
no longer want it in my life.
00:36:20.14\00:36:22.94
I want to quit, and I
need You to take it away.
00:36:22.98\00:36:25.81
That's step number one.
00:36:25.85\00:36:28.18
Step number two.
00:36:28.22\00:36:30.19
Now I go to God,
00:36:30.22\00:36:31.55
I asked Him to
remove the desire,
00:36:31.59\00:36:33.89
and I just start
thanking Him for the victory.
00:36:33.92\00:36:36.32
Oh, what do you mean?
00:36:36.36\00:36:37.69
You mean, if I
thank Him for the victory
00:36:37.73\00:36:39.06
before it actually happens.
00:36:39.09\00:36:40.43
Yes, that's faith.
00:36:40.46\00:36:43.37
See, let's be honest.
00:36:43.40\00:36:44.90
Whatever the addiction
may be, why do we do it?
00:36:44.93\00:36:49.70
Well, it's not a hard
question. Why do we do it?
00:36:49.74\00:36:52.37
We like it.
00:36:52.41\00:36:54.51
It's pleasurable
to the human nature.
00:36:54.54\00:36:58.31
So we have to ask
God to change that,
00:36:58.35\00:37:01.75
to remove that desire
00:37:01.78\00:37:03.69
and give us a
desire for something else.
00:37:03.72\00:37:06.35
Does that make sense?
00:37:06.39\00:37:07.72
Give Him
permission to take it away,
00:37:07.76\00:37:09.99
and then start thanking
Him that He's gonna do it.
00:37:10.03\00:37:13.40
Step number three,
00:37:13.43\00:37:15.13
remember that
you are dead to sin.
00:37:15.16\00:37:17.63
When tempted, stop and do what?
00:37:17.67\00:37:20.17
Pray. You know why?
00:37:20.20\00:37:21.80
It may seem cliché
but I can tell you,
00:37:21.84\00:37:24.44
it's awfully hard to
pray and sin at the same time.
00:37:24.47\00:37:28.78
It's possible, but
it's very difficult.
00:37:28.81\00:37:32.31
In fact, you
need a prayer partner,
00:37:32.35\00:37:34.35
whatever it is,
you're seeking to overcome,
00:37:34.38\00:37:36.32
someone you trust implicitly,
00:37:36.35\00:37:38.72
that when you
sense the desire come in,
00:37:38.75\00:37:40.69
you can sense when
temptation is coming.
00:37:40.72\00:37:42.76
You go to them, you call them
00:37:42.79\00:37:44.63
and say listen,
will you pray for me?
00:37:44.66\00:37:46.46
I feel the temptation coming.
00:37:46.49\00:37:49.63
See prayer, God's
divine intervention
00:37:49.66\00:37:52.93
is what take that desire away.
00:37:52.97\00:37:56.74
Step number four.
00:37:56.77\00:37:58.54
Now this is just common sense.
00:37:58.57\00:38:00.38
Don't provide for the desire.
00:38:00.41\00:38:02.74
In other words,
avoid tempting situations.
00:38:02.78\00:38:05.25
So if I say, Lord, "I'm
choosing to quit alcohol,
00:38:05.28\00:38:08.15
I want You to
give me the victory.
00:38:08.18\00:38:09.58
What steps do I need to take?"
00:38:09.62\00:38:12.92
That's right,
00:38:12.95\00:38:14.29
get rid of all the
alcohol in my home,
00:38:14.32\00:38:16.69
stay out of the bars,
00:38:16.73\00:38:18.06
probably don't need to
hang around other people
00:38:18.09\00:38:19.83
who are drinking heavily,
00:38:19.86\00:38:21.30
because it's crazy to
ask God to deliver us,
00:38:21.33\00:38:25.00
and then to
purposely put ourselves
00:38:25.03\00:38:27.50
in a tempting situation.
00:38:27.54\00:38:29.34
That's like saying,
00:38:29.37\00:38:30.71
"Well, God, I'm gonna keep
a stash here right at my house
00:38:30.74\00:38:32.77
just in case You
don't deliver me."
00:38:32.81\00:38:34.98
Well, we've already
lost faith right there.
00:38:35.01\00:38:37.41
Don't provide for the desire.
00:38:37.45\00:38:41.02
Step number five,
also actually, by the way,
00:38:41.05\00:38:44.42
when it comes to pornography,
00:38:44.45\00:38:46.86
another way we don't
provide for the desire.
00:38:46.89\00:38:49.92
Don't watch
certain kinds of movies
00:38:49.96\00:38:52.46
or sitcoms on television
00:38:52.49\00:38:54.56
that's going to make
that well up inside of us.
00:38:54.60\00:38:59.33
And then finally
step number five,
00:38:59.37\00:39:00.84
most important, spend
time with God every day.
00:39:00.87\00:39:05.14
Spend time in a
daily devotional life,
00:39:05.17\00:39:08.64
because the only thing
that's gonna change my heart,
00:39:08.68\00:39:11.95
the only thing that's
going to give me strength
00:39:11.98\00:39:14.28
to make different decisions
is not gonna be my willpower.
00:39:14.32\00:39:19.32
The only thing that's
going to do it is Jesus Christ
00:39:19.35\00:39:22.89
and His Holy
Spirit living in me.
00:39:22.92\00:39:25.06
And the way I open my
life to the Holy Spirit
00:39:25.09\00:39:27.96
is by opening the Bible
00:39:28.00\00:39:29.86
and opening my
life to God in prayer.
00:39:29.90\00:39:32.70
That's how we give
Him access into our life.
00:39:32.73\00:39:36.77
That's why the
daily devotional life
00:39:36.81\00:39:38.44
is one of the single
most important things
00:39:38.47\00:39:40.74
that every
Christian can be doing.
00:39:40.78\00:39:42.74
It opens the heart to God.
00:39:42.78\00:39:46.72
So that's God's five
step plan for victory.
00:39:46.75\00:39:50.32
I'm not saying it
will happen in a day,
00:39:50.35\00:39:52.55
though it has happened
that way for some people,
00:39:52.59\00:39:55.22
would you go one step at a time
00:39:55.26\00:39:57.63
and God is willing, God is able,
00:39:57.66\00:40:00.50
He wants to set you free.
00:40:00.53\00:40:02.76
He loves you now
while you're struggling,
00:40:02.80\00:40:05.53
but He knows you're
gonna be even happier
00:40:05.57\00:40:07.90
when He has set you free
00:40:07.94\00:40:10.11
for whatever has
been holding you back
00:40:10.14\00:40:12.74
and enslaving you.
00:40:12.77\00:40:14.11
See, that's the God we serve.
00:40:14.14\00:40:16.01
He loves us as we are.
00:40:16.04\00:40:18.18
He accepts us as we are.
00:40:18.21\00:40:20.85
But He doesn't want
us to stay the way we are
00:40:20.88\00:40:24.09
'cause He's got
something better.
00:40:24.12\00:40:27.16
Amen.
00:40:27.19\00:40:28.52
Now we could go all
night with addictions,
00:40:28.56\00:40:29.92
we all have them.
00:40:29.96\00:40:31.66
But what about our daily life?
00:40:31.69\00:40:34.43
Has the Bible
given us some principles
00:40:34.46\00:40:37.47
of what we do or
even eat on a daily basis?
00:40:37.50\00:40:42.20
And actually, yes,
00:40:42.24\00:40:44.27
I want you to turn to
a very interesting verse
00:40:44.31\00:40:46.37
back in the Book of Genesis.
00:40:46.41\00:40:48.28
This is the week of creation.
00:40:48.31\00:40:51.01
Notice what God
says to Adam and Eve.
00:40:51.05\00:40:53.18
Genesis 1:29.
00:40:53.21\00:40:56.22
The Bible says, "And God said,
00:40:56.25\00:41:00.22
'See, I have given you
every herb that yields seed,
00:41:00.26\00:41:05.16
which is on the
face of all the earth,
00:41:05.19\00:41:07.53
and every tree whose
fruit yield seed to you,
00:41:07.56\00:41:12.13
it shall be for food.'"
00:41:12.17\00:41:14.97
Do you notice the
original diet God gave mankind?
00:41:15.00\00:41:18.51
He says, "I've
given you every herb
00:41:18.54\00:41:20.28
or the plants of the
field and every fruit,
00:41:20.31\00:41:23.75
you know the fruit of
the tree that yields seed.
00:41:23.78\00:41:27.22
Interestingly enough,
00:41:27.25\00:41:29.45
it's basically
a vegetarian diet.
00:41:29.48\00:41:32.55
That was God's original plan.
00:41:32.59\00:41:36.09
Because when you
think about it, really,
00:41:36.12\00:41:38.43
what would eating
meat have required?
00:41:38.46\00:41:42.03
Killing animals.
00:41:42.06\00:41:43.40
Was there any
killing of any kind
00:41:43.43\00:41:45.00
in the Garden of Eden?
00:41:45.03\00:41:46.53
Absolutely none.
00:41:46.57\00:41:47.90
So that makes sense.
00:41:47.94\00:41:49.27
Now understand, however,
it is not a sin to eat meat.
00:41:49.30\00:41:54.64
You will not find
that verse in the Bible.
00:41:54.68\00:41:57.11
Now I myself, I
choose to be a vegetarian.
00:41:57.15\00:41:59.38
Not because I think
God's gonna love me more.
00:41:59.41\00:42:01.82
But because I
figured, you know what?
00:42:01.85\00:42:03.49
If that was God's original
plan before sin entered,
00:42:03.52\00:42:06.45
and since God created the body,
00:42:06.49\00:42:08.02
and He knows what's best for us,
00:42:08.06\00:42:10.33
I want to follow that plan
00:42:10.36\00:42:11.99
because that's the one God had
00:42:12.03\00:42:14.26
in the beginning.
00:42:14.30\00:42:16.30
Now, when you go on
in the Bible, clearly,
00:42:16.33\00:42:18.97
God gave man
permission to eat some meats,
00:42:19.00\00:42:21.84
but because He loves us,
00:42:21.87\00:42:24.24
you will find He also gave
us some principles to follow,
00:42:24.27\00:42:28.71
to help us to choose,
00:42:28.74\00:42:30.35
which would be acceptable
for human consumption,
00:42:30.38\00:42:33.31
and which would
not be acceptable
00:42:33.35\00:42:35.58
for human consumption.
00:42:35.62\00:42:37.39
And this is where
we get into principles
00:42:37.42\00:42:39.02
of clean and unclean foods.
00:42:39.05\00:42:42.32
Now, sometimes there's a
bit of a misunderstanding here,
00:42:42.36\00:42:45.23
because the prevailing theology
says, "Oh, well, you know,
00:42:45.26\00:42:49.36
clean and unclean foods
that was just for Moses,
00:42:49.40\00:42:51.83
and the Israelites,
and the ceremonial law."
00:42:51.87\00:42:55.04
But I want to take you
00:42:55.07\00:42:56.40
to a very
interesting verse in the Bible.
00:42:56.44\00:42:59.31
It's right here in
the Book of Genesis,
00:42:59.34\00:43:01.54
just go to Chapter 7,
00:43:01.58\00:43:05.38
7:1,
00:43:05.41\00:43:09.48
The Bible says, "Then
the Lord said to Noah,
00:43:09.52\00:43:14.32
'Come into the ark,
you and all your household,
00:43:14.36\00:43:18.89
because I have seen that
you are righteous before me
00:43:18.93\00:43:22.03
in this generation.'"
00:43:22.06\00:43:23.40
Now notice verse 2,
00:43:23.43\00:43:25.17
"You shall take with you
seven each of every," what?
00:43:25.20\00:43:29.37
"Clean animal, a
male and his female,
00:43:29.40\00:43:32.94
two each of
animals that are unclean,
00:43:32.97\00:43:36.21
a male and his female."
00:43:36.24\00:43:38.88
Let's pause there for a second.
00:43:38.91\00:43:42.25
As God was calling
the animals into the ark,
00:43:42.28\00:43:46.19
He also told Noah,
00:43:46.22\00:43:49.19
"I want you to
take seven of what kind?
00:43:49.22\00:43:52.09
Clean.
00:43:52.13\00:43:53.46
And two of?
00:43:53.50\00:43:55.06
Unclean.
00:43:55.10\00:43:56.43
So apparently,
there was this distinction
00:43:56.46\00:43:58.53
of clean and
unclean long before Moses
00:43:58.57\00:44:03.24
and the Jewish
nation ever existed.
00:44:03.27\00:44:07.71
See 'cause even after
sin entered into the world,
00:44:07.74\00:44:10.98
God gave man
principles to follow
00:44:11.01\00:44:13.72
on how to have a happy,
healthy, and an abundant life.
00:44:13.75\00:44:18.55
See, the reason
God said seven clean,
00:44:18.59\00:44:21.12
now think about that.
00:44:21.16\00:44:22.52
When the floods'
done and the water subside
00:44:22.56\00:44:25.26
and they finally
get out of the ark,
00:44:25.29\00:44:26.96
what's going to be
there for them to eat?
00:44:27.00\00:44:29.83
Nothing.
00:44:29.86\00:44:31.27
Vegetation will be gone or
just be starting to sprout.
00:44:31.30\00:44:35.10
In order to survive,
00:44:35.14\00:44:36.77
they're gonna have to
eat some of those animals.
00:44:36.81\00:44:39.44
And so, they have
seven clean animals
00:44:39.47\00:44:41.78
because they can
eat some of them.
00:44:41.81\00:44:43.91
But there's only two unclean
00:44:43.95\00:44:46.45
because God doesn't plan
for them to eat the unclean.
00:44:46.48\00:44:49.25
You know why?
00:44:49.28\00:44:50.62
If you have a male and
female and you eat one of them,
00:44:50.65\00:44:52.62
what's gonna happen?
00:44:52.65\00:44:54.92
They're gonna go extinct.
00:44:54.96\00:44:57.49
So here you have
clean and unclean
00:44:57.53\00:44:59.76
even back at the time of Noah.
00:44:59.79\00:45:03.77
And when you think about
it, God is such a good God.
00:45:03.80\00:45:06.74
He could say to us,
"you know what, I don't care.
00:45:06.77\00:45:09.74
Eat whatever you want,
00:45:09.77\00:45:11.11
put whatever you
want in your body,
00:45:11.14\00:45:12.47
I don't care what
consequence comes from it."
00:45:12.51\00:45:14.34
That's not our God.
00:45:14.38\00:45:16.08
He's too
personal. He's too loving.
00:45:16.11\00:45:18.75
He's too caring to do that.
00:45:18.78\00:45:20.22
So He says,
"Listen, I'm gonna give you
00:45:20.25\00:45:22.78
some principles to follow."
00:45:22.82\00:45:25.25
Now, He's not going
to send Gabriel down
00:45:25.29\00:45:27.06
to open my refrigerator or
to follow me out to Walmart
00:45:27.09\00:45:30.16
to see what I'm gonna buy.
00:45:30.19\00:45:31.56
God gives us a free will.
00:45:31.59\00:45:33.13
It's our choice.
00:45:33.16\00:45:35.06
But He gives us
00:45:35.10\00:45:36.43
some very
interesting principles here.
00:45:36.46\00:45:38.47
I want you to go to
Leviticus Chapter 11.
00:45:38.50\00:45:42.00
I just love the
way God is simple.
00:45:42.04\00:45:43.94
He doesn't make
things complicated.
00:45:43.97\00:45:46.64
Go to Leviticus Chapter 11.
00:45:46.68\00:45:49.78
And God gives us a
principle to follow
00:45:49.81\00:45:53.08
on clean and unclean foods.
00:45:53.11\00:45:57.59
Leviticus 11:2,
00:45:57.62\00:46:03.49
the Bible says,
00:46:03.53\00:46:06.29
"Speak to the
children of Israel saying,
00:46:06.33\00:46:09.53
'These are the
animals that are on the earth.
00:46:09.56\00:46:12.57
Among the animals,
whatever divides the hoof,
00:46:12.60\00:46:16.14
having cloven
hooves and chewing the cud
00:46:16.17\00:46:19.37
that you may eat.'"
00:46:19.41\00:46:22.08
Well, that's a
pretty easy principle.
00:46:22.11\00:46:24.05
Whatever has a divided
hoof and chews the cud is clean
00:46:24.08\00:46:29.02
and acceptable
for human consumption.
00:46:29.05\00:46:32.42
Wow.
00:46:32.45\00:46:33.79
You say, "Well,
why does God use that?"
00:46:33.82\00:46:36.96
You know what's interesting?
00:46:36.99\00:46:39.19
Most animals that
have a divided hoof
00:46:39.23\00:46:40.86
and chew the cud are
basically herbivores.
00:46:40.90\00:46:44.53
They eat the plants
and the vegetables, etc.
00:46:44.57\00:46:47.17
So when we eat them,
00:46:47.20\00:46:49.20
we're just getting
to plant second hand.
00:46:49.24\00:46:51.87
God said that will be acceptable
00:46:51.91\00:46:53.58
for human consumption.
00:46:53.61\00:46:55.08
God gave us the ideal
in the Garden of Eden.
00:46:55.11\00:46:58.61
But if we have to, he says,
00:46:58.65\00:47:00.05
"Here are principles to
follow about the other foods."
00:47:00.08\00:47:04.95
The animals that do
not have a divided hoof
00:47:04.99\00:47:07.56
and do not chew the cud,
00:47:07.59\00:47:08.92
you know what most of them are?
00:47:08.96\00:47:10.93
They're carnivores.
00:47:10.96\00:47:12.69
Carnivores eat other animals.
00:47:12.73\00:47:15.06
They eat the meat
of dead carcasses.
00:47:15.10\00:47:18.17
See, their bodies are
designed to handle those things.
00:47:18.20\00:47:21.34
But if I eat that animal,
00:47:21.37\00:47:23.20
I am eating
everything that animal ate
00:47:23.24\00:47:25.77
and putting it into my body,
00:47:25.81\00:47:27.78
which God did not
designed to handle it.
00:47:27.81\00:47:31.35
And therefore it
will bring disease,
00:47:31.38\00:47:33.62
it will bring
filth into my mind,
00:47:33.65\00:47:35.38
in my body, and God says,
00:47:35.42\00:47:36.85
"I love you too much
not to warn you about that."
00:47:36.89\00:47:42.09
That's our loving God.
00:47:42.12\00:47:44.99
In fact, and he goes on,
"Now just for the fun of it.
00:47:45.03\00:47:47.53
He mentioned some
specific animals here.
00:47:47.56\00:47:50.33
Now some of these animals
will be no problem for us
00:47:50.37\00:47:52.63
because some of the
ones that are listed,
00:47:52.67\00:47:54.24
I won't touch with
a 10-foot pole anyway.
00:47:54.27\00:47:56.91
But let's just
go to the verse 4.
00:47:56.94\00:47:58.51
Let's have some fun with this.
00:47:58.54\00:48:00.41
I'm sorry, verse
5, Leviticus 11:5,
00:48:00.44\00:48:03.35
he named some unclean animals.
00:48:03.38\00:48:06.05
He says, "The rock hyrax,
which is basically a badger
00:48:06.08\00:48:09.85
because it chews the cud
00:48:09.88\00:48:11.65
but does not have cloven hooves,
00:48:11.69\00:48:13.66
it is unclean to you."
00:48:13.69\00:48:16.49
Well, I'm not going
to pitch a fit over that
00:48:16.52\00:48:17.93
because I don't plan
on eating a badger anyway.
00:48:17.96\00:48:20.90
What's the next one say?
00:48:20.93\00:48:23.10
The hare or the rabbit
00:48:23.13\00:48:25.13
because it chews the cud
00:48:25.17\00:48:26.50
but does not have cloven hooves,
00:48:26.53\00:48:27.87
it is unclean to you.
00:48:27.90\00:48:29.87
Now, that don't bother me.
00:48:29.90\00:48:32.44
But you know, verse 7
is a bit of a problem.
00:48:32.47\00:48:37.75
Verse 7, "And the swine
though it divides the hoof,
00:48:37.78\00:48:44.29
having cloven hooves
yet does not chew the cud,"
00:48:44.32\00:48:47.56
it is what?
00:48:47.59\00:48:49.16
Unclean to you."
00:48:49.19\00:48:50.63
Oh, why God,
00:48:50.66\00:48:53.33
He takes away one
of our favorite foods,
00:48:53.36\00:48:56.63
He takes away Miss Piggy.
00:48:56.67\00:48:59.30
Why Lord are You doing that?"
00:48:59.33\00:49:01.70
Is it because God is cruel?
00:49:01.74\00:49:03.94
Is it because
God is restrictive?
00:49:03.97\00:49:07.11
Because God knew something
00:49:07.14\00:49:08.48
before the doctors ever knew it,
00:49:08.51\00:49:09.84
He loves us too much.
00:49:09.88\00:49:11.95
God knew that pig would be unfit
00:49:11.98\00:49:14.28
for human consumption.
00:49:14.32\00:49:15.98
And when you think about it,
00:49:16.02\00:49:17.35
medical
scientists finally caught up
00:49:17.39\00:49:18.75
with what God said
thousands of years ago.
00:49:18.79\00:49:21.32
If you have any serious disease,
00:49:21.36\00:49:23.19
heart problem, or whatever,
00:49:23.22\00:49:24.83
what's the first
thing your doctor tells you
00:49:24.86\00:49:26.49
to stay away from?
00:49:26.53\00:49:28.06
Tells you to
stay away from pork.
00:49:28.10\00:49:30.27
What about the
animals in the sea?
00:49:30.30\00:49:31.63
God say anything about that?
00:49:31.67\00:49:33.67
Actually, He does.
00:49:33.70\00:49:35.10
He gives us a
neat principle here.
00:49:35.14\00:49:37.41
Let's now go to Leviticus 11.
00:49:37.44\00:49:39.41
Let's just read verse 9.
00:49:39.44\00:49:41.91
Leviticus 11:9.
00:49:41.94\00:49:46.38
The Bible says,
00:49:46.41\00:49:48.78
"These you may eat of
all that are in the water,
00:49:48.82\00:49:52.85
whatever in the
water has fins and scales,
00:49:52.89\00:49:56.36
whether in the
seas or in the rivers
00:49:56.39\00:49:58.36
that you may eat."
00:49:58.39\00:50:01.43
Well, that's not complicated.
00:50:01.46\00:50:03.26
He says if it's got
fins, if it's got scales,
00:50:03.30\00:50:06.87
it's acceptable
for human consumption.
00:50:06.90\00:50:10.91
You say, "Now what's
the logic behind that?"
00:50:10.94\00:50:13.84
Because God knows something
00:50:13.88\00:50:15.21
that we didn't
know in the beginning.
00:50:15.24\00:50:16.61
Now we know now
00:50:16.64\00:50:17.98
because of science
and marine biologists.
00:50:18.01\00:50:21.02
But you know, most
of the seafood animals
00:50:21.05\00:50:23.08
that don't have fins and scales,
00:50:23.12\00:50:25.79
ones we tend to love so well,
00:50:25.82\00:50:27.99
crab, oyster, shrimp,
00:50:28.02\00:50:32.13
lobster, clams
00:50:32.16\00:50:34.20
and things like that,
you know, and some of us,
00:50:34.23\00:50:36.56
we're about ready to
jump off our seat and say,
00:50:36.60\00:50:38.10
"Oh, God, why?
00:50:38.13\00:50:39.47
Those are some of the
most delectable things."
00:50:39.50\00:50:43.30
But God knows something.
00:50:43.34\00:50:45.64
All of those
animals just mentioned
00:50:45.67\00:50:47.48
that don't have fins and scales.
00:50:47.51\00:50:49.84
Any marine
biologists will tell you,
00:50:49.88\00:50:52.78
they are the
scavengers of the ocean floor.
00:50:52.81\00:50:56.95
They were created to eat
00:50:56.99\00:50:58.59
and clean up all
that filth that is there.
00:50:58.62\00:51:01.36
That's what God
created them to do.
00:51:01.39\00:51:04.49
And so when I eat them,
00:51:04.53\00:51:06.83
I'm eating all the garbage
and filth they have ingested
00:51:06.86\00:51:10.87
and God says,
"Listen, I care for you.
00:51:10.90\00:51:14.14
That's something you probably
ought to stay away from,
00:51:14.17\00:51:17.37
because it's not going to
bring health and abundance
00:51:17.41\00:51:20.51
to your body or to your mind."
00:51:20.54\00:51:24.08
I'm glad God loves
us so much, aren't you?
00:51:24.11\00:51:26.05
Amen.
00:51:26.08\00:51:27.42
Real quick,
Prevention Magazine wrote this.
00:51:27.45\00:51:29.98
It said, "Why are
shellfish so dangerous?
00:51:30.02\00:51:33.32
Because they are
many times more polluted
00:51:33.36\00:51:35.52
than the filthy
waters they inhabit.
00:51:35.56\00:51:37.93
Unfortunately, they
choose to live and love
00:51:37.96\00:51:40.76
and multiply in
estuaries along coastal regions.
00:51:40.80\00:51:44.97
These estuaries are
particularly subject
00:51:45.00\00:51:49.14
to discharge of what?
00:51:49.17\00:51:51.31
I don't have to
say what that is, okay,
00:51:51.34\00:51:53.14
discharge of sewage
00:51:53.17\00:51:54.71
and other water borne pollution.
00:51:54.74\00:51:57.51
No other animal
offered on the menu
00:51:57.55\00:51:59.58
at your favorite eating place
00:51:59.61\00:52:01.55
would be served to
you along with its feces.
00:52:01.58\00:52:04.75
Yet this is the
case with seafood.
00:52:04.79\00:52:06.79
It is served whole, complete
with its intestinal tract."
00:52:06.82\00:52:12.33
God says, "Hey, I
don't want you to suffer.
00:52:12.36\00:52:15.16
I don't want you to get
that filth in your body.
00:52:15.20\00:52:17.83
I have
something better for you."
00:52:17.87\00:52:20.50
Here's the principles, God says,
00:52:20.54\00:52:22.97
"Use it and
prosper and be in health."
00:52:23.00\00:52:27.01
Can you say amen? Amen.
00:52:27.04\00:52:28.91
See, we're tempted to
look at these things as saying,
00:52:28.94\00:52:31.58
"Oh, that's just so legalistic."
00:52:31.61\00:52:34.28
Listen, it's got nothing to
do with you being righteous.
00:52:34.32\00:52:38.29
It's got nothing to do
with God loving you more,
00:52:38.32\00:52:41.12
or thinking that you're superior
00:52:41.16\00:52:42.69
and get to heaven first.
00:52:42.72\00:52:44.13
What we eat has
nothing to do with that.
00:52:44.16\00:52:46.76
These principles
have to do with the fact
00:52:46.80\00:52:48.93
that God is my Creator,
00:52:48.96\00:52:51.20
that God loves me.
00:52:51.23\00:52:53.17
And He wants me to have an
abundant life on this earth
00:52:53.20\00:52:56.50
and when I choose to follow it,
00:52:56.54\00:52:58.54
it's not because I'm
trying to get to heaven.
00:52:58.57\00:53:01.21
Jesus has
already paid that price.
00:53:01.24\00:53:03.51
If I choose to
follow, it's my response
00:53:03.55\00:53:06.45
to everything that
Jesus has done for me,
00:53:06.48\00:53:09.38
because I am surrendering
my mind and my body to Him.
00:53:09.42\00:53:13.39
Can you say amen?
00:53:13.42\00:53:14.76
It's always important
to remember the motivation
00:53:14.79\00:53:17.23
and the reason for
which we do these things.
00:53:17.26\00:53:21.00
You can't make
God love you any more
00:53:21.03\00:53:23.06
than He already loves you now.
00:53:23.10\00:53:28.20
There's one more thing
I want to cover though,
00:53:28.24\00:53:30.61
because if I don't,
it'll come in the question box.
00:53:30.64\00:53:33.74
There's a couple
perplexing passages in the Bible
00:53:33.78\00:53:38.08
that on the
surface seem to contradict
00:53:38.11\00:53:40.12
everything we just said.
00:53:40.15\00:53:42.08
And I'd like to
cover one of them
00:53:42.12\00:53:44.12
as an example of a
proper way to study the Bible.
00:53:44.15\00:53:48.36
Remember Peters
vision in Acts Chapter 10.
00:53:48.39\00:53:53.19
We need to review that.
00:53:53.23\00:53:54.56
Now I'm not gonna
read 21 verses here,
00:53:54.60\00:53:56.80
but I would like you to
turn to Acts Chapter 10.
00:53:56.83\00:54:00.00
And instead of just
picking one sentence out
00:54:00.04\00:54:03.07
and trying to
develop a doctrine around it,
00:54:03.10\00:54:05.97
let's look at the context.
00:54:06.01\00:54:08.14
Acts Chapter 10 and
beginning in verse 9,
00:54:08.18\00:54:12.21
really the whole chapter.
00:54:12.25\00:54:14.12
Here's what's going on.
Here's the quick summary.
00:54:14.15\00:54:17.72
Cornelius is an Italian soldier.
00:54:17.75\00:54:20.72
He loves the God of heaven.
00:54:20.76\00:54:22.59
He believes in the Jewish
faith and the Jewish religion.
00:54:22.62\00:54:25.93
He's a devout
man, the Bible says,
00:54:25.96\00:54:28.20
because of that, God
sends an angel to Cornelius
00:54:28.23\00:54:31.67
and tells him that he is to send
00:54:31.70\00:54:33.67
for the Apostle Peter
00:54:33.70\00:54:35.30
who needs to tell his
family something important.
00:54:35.34\00:54:38.64
See, God intended for
Peter to share the gospel
00:54:38.67\00:54:41.38
with this Gentile family.
00:54:41.41\00:54:43.18
So while Cornelius
dispatches an envoy
00:54:43.21\00:54:46.35
to go find Peter,
00:54:46.38\00:54:48.68
God knows that
Peter is not gonna go
00:54:48.72\00:54:51.65
because Peter was brought
up and steeped in Judaism.
00:54:51.69\00:54:56.16
He was taught from the
time he was a little kid
00:54:56.19\00:54:59.26
that Gentiles are unclean,
00:54:59.29\00:55:01.73
that you do not
go into their house
00:55:01.76\00:55:03.73
and you do not eat with
them or you will be unclean.
00:55:03.77\00:55:06.90
See Peter wasn't over that yet.
00:55:06.94\00:55:08.70
So God knew He
had to do something
00:55:08.74\00:55:10.31
to help Peter see the light.
00:55:10.34\00:55:12.24
So Peter gets
this vision of a cloud
00:55:12.27\00:55:15.34
or not a cloud, a blanket
00:55:15.38\00:55:16.71
that lets down a
bunch of four footed beasts
00:55:16.75\00:55:18.51
that are unclean.
00:55:18.55\00:55:19.88
And God says, "Rise,
Peter, kill and eat."
00:55:19.91\00:55:22.62
And what does Peter say?
00:55:22.65\00:55:24.62
"I've never eaten
anything unclean."
00:55:24.65\00:55:27.36
Notice, by the way,
00:55:27.39\00:55:28.72
that was Peter's first response.
00:55:28.76\00:55:31.96
This is the same guy
that walked with Jesus
00:55:31.99\00:55:33.93
for three and a half years.
00:55:33.96\00:55:36.16
So apparently,
Peter did not believe
00:55:36.20\00:55:39.37
that unclean and clean
00:55:39.40\00:55:40.84
was done away with at the cross,
00:55:40.87\00:55:43.00
'cause that was
his first response
00:55:43.04\00:55:44.37
and he was with Jesus every day.
00:55:44.41\00:55:47.28
You keep going on there.
00:55:47.31\00:55:48.64
You notice what
happens, God says,
00:55:48.68\00:55:50.01
"Listen, don't
call anything unclean
00:55:50.05\00:55:51.91
that God has called clean."
00:55:51.95\00:55:54.45
And we stop right there.
00:55:54.48\00:55:56.55
And we want to
pull that out and say,
00:55:56.58\00:55:57.92
"Oh, see God's
made all foods clean."
00:55:57.95\00:55:59.72
Now, it doesn't matter.
00:55:59.75\00:56:01.82
Listen, if it wasn't good
for the body in Leviticus,
00:56:01.86\00:56:04.29
it's not good for the body now.
00:56:04.33\00:56:06.80
Did Jesus die on the
cross to cleanse us from sins
00:56:06.83\00:56:09.63
or to cleanse food?
00:56:09.66\00:56:11.93
To cleanse us from sin.
00:56:11.97\00:56:14.70
You know what was going on here?
00:56:14.74\00:56:18.34
God was trying to show Peter
00:56:18.37\00:56:21.91
that the wall
between Gentile and Jew
00:56:21.94\00:56:24.85
is coming down,
00:56:24.88\00:56:26.98
that he should not
call Gentiles unclean.
00:56:27.02\00:56:30.25
And so when he
went to Cornelius' house
00:56:30.29\00:56:32.89
and shared the
Gospel of Christ with them,
00:56:32.92\00:56:35.16
and you can read it there,
00:56:35.19\00:56:36.52
it says, the Holy
Spirit fell upon them.
00:56:36.56\00:56:39.09
They accepted the
Lord Jesus Christ,
00:56:39.13\00:56:41.26
they were baptized.
00:56:41.30\00:56:42.63
And at the end of this story,
00:56:42.66\00:56:44.73
Peter tells us himself in
verse 28 what the point was.
00:56:44.77\00:56:49.50
Acts 10:28, the Bible
says, "Then he said to them,
00:56:49.54\00:56:55.31
"You know how
unlawful it is for a Jewish man
00:56:55.34\00:56:59.08
to keep company with or
go to one of another nation,
00:56:59.11\00:57:03.59
but God has shown me
00:57:03.62\00:57:06.49
that I should
not call any," what?
00:57:06.52\00:57:10.06
"Man, common or unclean."
00:57:10.09\00:57:14.36
Division had nothing
to do with cleansing food.
00:57:14.40\00:57:18.70
What it did have something
to do with is cleansing sin,
00:57:18.73\00:57:23.54
that Gentiles are not
to be considered unclean,
00:57:23.57\00:57:26.98
that we are all
one in Jesus Christ,
00:57:27.01\00:57:29.51
the wall of
separation comes down,
00:57:29.54\00:57:31.85
you are not to call
any man common or unclean.
00:57:31.88\00:57:37.62
So when you take the Bible
and read it in its context,
00:57:37.65\00:57:40.92
it makes perfect sense.
00:57:40.96\00:57:44.93
Folks, tonight, we've learned
that God loves us so much,
00:57:44.96\00:57:48.43
that He gave a health
plan to the human family,
00:57:48.46\00:57:51.60
a plan that He wants us to use
00:57:51.63\00:57:53.23
so that we can
prosper and be in health.
00:57:53.27\00:57:57.74
I like to close with
this verse from Romans 12:1,
00:57:57.77\00:58:02.44
the Bible says,
00:58:02.48\00:58:03.88
"I beseech you
therefore, brethren,
00:58:03.91\00:58:06.78
by the mercies of God,
00:58:06.82\00:58:08.78
that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice,
00:58:08.82\00:58:12.52
holy and acceptable to God,
00:58:12.55\00:58:15.22
which is your
reasonable service."
00:58:15.26\00:58:19.06
See, God invites
us to give ourselves
00:58:19.09\00:58:21.43
as a living sacrifice to Him
00:58:21.46\00:58:24.53
to surrender everything we have,
00:58:24.57\00:58:26.94
including our mind and our body.
00:58:26.97\00:58:29.77