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Plain Talk for Teens
Lesson #19
Question: What about Drugs and Alcohol?
Opening Discussion:
Q: Do you agree that both drugs, drinking and smoking are addictive?
Q: Would you think that Jesus would want us doing something that is not only addictive but very harmful to our bodies?
Q: What is the major factor in driving teens to try one of the above? (Peer Pressure is the expected response)
Note: The following is for your information as a teacher so that you can use it how you choose in the lesson. The Scriptures are a necessity but the background information is your decision. Following the background and scriptures are some down to earth approaches and answers for this issue. As for the following information is deals solely with Alcohol but can be interchanged with drugs also and especially the practical approach following.
Drinking Wine or Alcohol
Was wine spoken of in the Bible fermented or unfermented?
This subject has been cause for much debate and speculation among Christians and non-Christians alike. Much of the confusion as to whether wine was fermented or unfermented stems from
the word "wine" being used in translation of the Greek word "oinos", which can denote either grape juice or intoxicating wine. This word "oinos" was used by secular and religious authors during Biblical times in referring to the juice of the grape.
Nicander writes of squeezing grapes and refers to the juice produced as wine or "oinos". Papias, one of the early Church fathers, wrote that when grapes are crushed, they yield jars of wine or "oinos". The Translators of the Bible knew that the word "oinos" could refer to either fermented or unfermented wine. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul commands us to "be not drunk
with wine (oinos)." But in Revelation 19:15, Jesus is described
as treading out the winepress. The original Greek text reads, "He
treads the winepress of the wine (oinos)." Wine coming from a winepress would, of course, be juice squeezed from the grapes.
Many processes in Biblical times were used to process the juice and keep it fresh for long periods without fermenting. Wines of antiquity were more like syrup, not fermented, and kept sweet
for several months. One method of processing the grapes required boiling them until a thick paste was formed. This paste, which had a high sugar concentration, could be stored for a long time. It was used as a spread for bread, or mixed with water to make juice. New wine was, as the name implies, freshly pressed juice. When speaking of fermented wine, Jewish customs of Biblical times required mixing the wine with as least three parts of water, or even as much as ten parts water. Otherwise, it would defile the person drinking it.
Knowing this, some insight is added to the Revelation 14:10 which speaks of those taking the mark of beast drinking of the wine of God's wrath "without mixture" or full strength.
The Passover required bread made without yeast, an agent of fermentation. It could be safe to assume that the wine was also without fermentation. At the Passover meal before Jesus' crucifixion, He stated the bread represented His body and the
fruit of the vine represented His blood. It would be consistent to
think that both the bread and wine, since they represented Christ's body and blood, were without any fermentation agents and were uncorrupted. Fermented wine was never to be used in the temple, nor could the priests draw near to God in worship if they had used fermented wine (Leviticus 10:9). Christ was our High Priest of the new covenant drawing nigh to God. The Gospels refer to Christ's blood at the Passover meal, not as wine, but as the cup or the fruit of the vine.
Knowing then that the Greek word "oinos", which is translated throughout the New Testament as "wine", could refer to fermented or unfermented wine, how do we determine which is the case? We must look at other passages in the scriptures which
reference wine or drinking to determine which type of wine was used.
Leviticus 10:9, mentioned above, instructs the priests to not drink wine nor strong drink. Solomon in his Proverbs, wrote, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." (Proverbs 20:1). The NIV translates this
verse, "Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise." Then again in chapter 23, Solomon writes, "Who hath woe? Who hath contentions? Who hath sorrow? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last, it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things." (23:29-33). The prophet Habbakuk penned, "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that putteth thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also."
(Habbakuk 2:15). The apostle Paul told the Romans, "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." (Romans 14:21). To the Ephesians, Paul wrote "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." To Timothy, Paul instructed him to be "not given to wine." (See Ephesians 5:18; 1 Timothy 3:3,8; 1 Peter 4:3; Titus 1:7, 2:3).
From these scriptures, we see that the Bible is strongly against drinking fermented wine. If Jesus turned the water into intoxicating wine at the wedding in Canaan, then He is in violation of Habbakuk's warning, "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink." He would have given several large pots of fermented wine to a wedding party which had already been drinking resulting in drunkeness. This miracle would not have manifested Jesus' glory if it happened so. If Jesus drank wine, then He is guilty of "looking on the wine when it is red" and ignoring Solomon's warning of contentions, babblings,
sorrow and woe to those who tarry at the wine. Jesus came to fulfill the law, and not to break it.
Personal Application:
Some of my friends tease me because I have never drank or took drugs. They say it will make me outgoing and loosen me up, and I will be popular. Is that true?
You've heard the old saying, "If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?" Just because all of your friends are doing something, doesn't mean it is a smart thing for you to do.
Alcoholism is America's third largest health problem, and is
implicated in 200,000 deaths every year. It has ruined many lives and broken many marriages and homes. And guess what? Every alcoholic began with his or her first drink. When you friends say you are too scared to take a drink, tell them you are not scared, but smart. The Bible says, "The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished for it. Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; he who guards himself will be far from them." (Proverbs 22:3,5 NASB).
Your friends says that drinking makes you popular. What if tomorrow, they say that smoking pot makes you popular? And what if the day after that, they say that smoking crack makes you popular? It's a cycle that never ends. It is better to stick to your convictions and be unpopular than to compromise your convictions and be popular. If your friends only like you because you smoke or drink, then they aren't really true friends anyway.
If you want a personality makeover and to loosen up, drinking or smoking pot will definitely do the trick. You will probably be the life of party. Or you might die in a car accident trying to get home (and don't forget the hangover and trying to remember what you
did while you were drunk or high). If you want a personality
makeover, try this:
"Do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit"! (Ephesians 5:18). Coming under the influence of drugs or alcohol
will make you act differently. You may not know how it will affect you and make you act either. But you do know how the Holy Spirit will make you act, for it is His job to mold you into the image of Christ Jesus.
Your school or campus needs to see someone who is different that everyone else, and who has a reputation for thinking different. Your friends rarely see a difference between people who claim to be Christian and those who are not. Be different, stand out among the crowd, and go against the flow!
What should I do if my friends make fun of me for being a Christian?
It won't always be easy when you take a stand for Christ. Your friends will watch you, and you will indeed be a "living
epistle, known and read of men" (2 Corinthians 3:2). Perhaps you will be teased, or they may give you a hard time if you do something wrong, or question everything you do. You know you aren't perfect, so don't pretend you are. When questioned about your faith, always take a stand for your convictions and for Christ, and do it in love, remembering that if it wasn't for God's grace, you would be like them. The quickest way to turn your friends off is too have a holier-than-thou attitude by saying, "I'm a good Christian and I don't do those things!"
Many times, the best response is to say nothing when they make fun of you. Listen to the Holy Spirit within you, for He will tell you when to keep quiet, and when to speak, and will also tell you what to say (Luke 12:11-12). Have you ever thought about Jesus and the two thieves He was crucified with? Both of the thieves ridiculed and mocked Christ. But something about Christ made one of the thieves change his mind. There was something different about this Man, and what was it? Could it be that it was because Jesus said nothing as the people accused Him and laughed at Him? Jesus' quietness that day led to the salvation of one more soul.
Always have a meek and gentle spirit about you, and be ready to answer any one who questions you (1 Peter 3:15).
Stand for your faith and convictions, but don't be self-righteous. If you lose friends, keep in mind that they are not really rejecting you, but Christ. And remember the promises Jesus made, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12).
How can I get the power and strength to say "no" to temptation and to pressure from my friends?
It definitely takes more than just making a New Year's resolution to break a bad habit. Home exercise equipment purchased in January is usually for sale in February. First, think about how you will react and what you will do or say the next time you are tempted or pressured by your friends. Second, do not place yourself in situations where you know you will face temptation. If you know that there will be beer and pot at the "cool" party everyone is going to after the game Saturday night, then don't go. Third, obtain new friends, join a youth group or a Bible club at school. Hang out with friends that love
Jesus and do no participate in questionable activities. Finally, make Bible reading a daily habit and be filled with the Spirit. David wrote in the Psalms,
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalms 119:11). The apostle Paul wrote to the
Ephesians, "Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit."
(Ephesians 5:18). The Holy Spirit will convict you of sin, and He will be that gentle voice in your heart that guides you and strengthens you to resist temptation. Paul wrote, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16).
How can I make a difference in the lives of my friends? I want to influence them, instead of them influencing me. Peer pressure can be negative, but it can also be positive. To have an influence in your school, you must not only resist negative peer pressure, but exert positive peer pressure. Witness to those around you who don't know Jesus, and influence your friends
who do know Christ to draw closer to Him. Start a Christian Club
to encourage each other, and to hold school-wide activities through which you can spread the Gospel. Whatever you do, don't just talk it, but walk it. It only takes one person totally committed to Christ to start a revival, and it could be you!
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