Joel 1:5-6…..” Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.”
Augustine wrote….. “Drunkenness is a flattering devil, a sweet poison, a pleasant sin; whosoever has it, has not himself.”
Just this week during the Wednesday evening service a strange man shows up at church and he is drunk. Somehow he makes his way into the service and at times is unruly, but he has every right to come to church. He is apparently struggling, needy and of course spiritual unaware of his condition or need to live a life in Christ.
How does or how can a church respond to such a visitor? What are the thought processes of the typical congregation? I am sure you can answer this question without too much thought going into it.
But what does Christ expect out of the church in these times? I know one lady invited him back on Sunday morning, but she said the next time you come to church, “show up sober.” Will this man remember this invitation?
When God takes a church out of its typical comfort zone and exposes them to the world we need to be open to become a mission for those who are under the influence of darkness. In the service a prayer was prayed for our visitor.
On the other hand this drunken man harassed a woman by following her out the door. Fortunately she escaped his grip and God protected her. The experience became personal for all those who knew about this stranger. Puzzled somewhat on how to express God’s love and God’s grace to the man.
Today we must ask ourselves are we, [the church] ready for the world? Are we being responsible to the strangers God brings into the church door? What do you think about this situation?
There are several angles we can concern ourselves with and in this age of time we must be in constant prayer, we must know God’s word and realize His power in every situation.
The lady who was followed out of the church building by this drunken man is a new follower of Christ. As she explained her situation to me, she ask me what else could she have done except go back inside for help. I shared with her about the importance of prayer and that she can always call out to Jesus in times of trouble.
1 Thessalonians chapter 5 ….6 … “Stay alert and be sober. 7 Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk. 8 But let us … think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 9 For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.”
Why do some people justify drinking to the state of drunkenness? There are cultural considerations and many countries offer drinks to the very young and it is widely accepted.
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