HELP FOR THE ALCOHOLIC

Text – Ephesians 5:18

Introductory Remarks & Statistics

  Most Serious Drug Problem in America today is not Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth…….

   Alcohol has caused more physical, Mental, Psychological damage to more people of all ages than all other illegal drugs put together

   Everyone in here knows someone whose life has been affected by the disastrous effects of  Alcohol

No one can calculate the GRIEF, SHAME, AND HEARTACHE, JOB LOSS, POVERTY, BROKEN HOMES, IMMORALITY….Brought to our Nation

If any other disease or virus affected our citizens so much, a National Emergency would be declared.

Epidemic – Studies 1/3 people in America is a close family member to someone is affected by a serious alcohol problem.

Alcoholics desperately need help.  Studies show that until an alcoholic (or drug addict) hits bottom, admitting their life is out of control, there is little hope of any change.  Problem is – Most Alcoholics will die or get killed before they reach that point…..A loved one or friend must intervene….and help the person come to this point BEFORE it is too late….

With God’s Help there is hope…. Intervention Treatment program PLUS Spiritual Help (born-again) and back in fellowship & serving Lord

Two Kinds of Wine in the Bible

(a) Intoxicating                    (b)  Non-Intoxicating

Reasons God Hates Booze & Liquor

Isaiah 56:12

(1) It Enslaves & Addicts

People of all ages, gender, and race….

Addict – To give one’s self over as a slave

Addiction always begins with that first drink

2/3 of people in America Drink

M.A.D.D. Stats……….10 Million Americans are addicted

No other substance affect our young people as does Alcohol

½1/3 of all Teens have a serious alcohol or drug problem

Alcohol is the #1 drug problem of Today’s Youth

Alcohol kills 6 and ½ 1/2 times the number killed by coke, heroin, and every other illegal drug combined.

..

..and ADDICTION always starts with that FIRST DRINK…

Taking that first drink is a choice and getting drunk is a sin, but the consequences of that sin is often the  DISEASE of Alcoholism…..

Disease….Therefore treatment must be SPIRITUAL and PHYSICAL  (thru treatment intervention group, ie AA, etc.)

Stats - Most Alcoholics DIE…and those who do recover …..about 85 % get help thru Alcoholics Anonymous,, and about 12 % from religious experience separate from AA, and 3 % from all other methods….

Isaiah 4:11,12, 21,22

(2) It keeps people from working for the Lord

I suppose Booze has kept more people from serving the Lord and living for the lord than any other substance on this earth….

I wonder how many in here has someone close to them who could have been doing so much for the Lord…..

(3) It keeps people from becoming Saved

Booze makes people feel they don’t need the Lord…

They think they’re ‘WISE’ …they get their high from their booze…it can give them a ‘feeling’ nothing else can…

Billy Sunday said LIQUOR AND BOOZE IS GOD’S WORST ENEMY AND THE DEVIL’S BEST FRIEND..

Parents if your child takes to drink, the chances of him or her coming to trust Christ as Saviour are drastically lower…

Isaiah 28:1, 7,8

(4) It Robs People of their Dreams & Potential

Fading flower -  we all know examples of people we know with so much promise …so much potential…..great dreams!

Nothing else has led to more loss of dreams – college / career/ profession

Liquor causes people to ERR IN JUDGMENT… 

CNS DEPRESSANT……Ethyl Alcohol is ½ ½1/2 molecule of  Ether

Just one time…under influence….how many have made decision under influence of alcohol that has affected whole life…

Hosea 4:11

(5) It Takes Away a Person’s Joy

After the Euphoria is gone, the emptiness and the sadness sets in…

Oh, the consequences….the high price…

Habakkuk 2:15

(6) It Brings Shame to one’s Character 

How much shame has been caused by one night of drinking…

Immorality…..How many have been a wrong place at wrong time with wrong person or people….and liquor has caused shame to your character and reputation…. Taken advantage of….

                        2 examples - Gen 9:20-24 (Noah) ;  Gen 19:32,33 (Lot)

Proverbs 23:29-35

(7) It is an Enemy of the Home & Family

Has anything led to more broken homes and divorces,  broken hearts?

How many pastors have sit down in their office and have a person say..  “My Husband Drinks”……or  “My Wife drinks”…”Our Son Drinks”

How many young wives have cried themselves to sleep at night waiting for their husband to come home…..

Ladies one of the worse decisions you can make is to date a person who drinks…..

Fellas…ditto.

You can fall in love and then too late…….all the promises….It always gets worse…..

Has anything caused more heartache to children in the home?

Many in here raised with alcoholic and even listening to this message is painful to you….

Letter from Teenager

(8) It Destroys one’s Health & Kills

Persistent drinking can kill brain cells…irritates stomach lining and can lead to ulcers….Nebraska Council on Alcohol Education says when pregnant woman gets drunk, so does child within her…

Destroys liver cells and can cause CIRRHOSIS of Liver and death..

Ever seen an EMACIATED ALCOHOLIC……most of calories come from alcohol but nutrition is not there and body just wastes away…..

Sunken cheeks…..emaciated body….

Look at beautiful woman who drinks and come back 5 years later….

Most people who are alcoholics will die either directly or indirectly because of  the disease 

But more tragically it kills INNOCENT people….

MADD says 17,000 killed every year in alcohol related crashes

1 person dead every 30 minutes

1 person injured every minute

POEM – DEATH OF AN INNOCENT

Chances are …we can all think of someone we know killed by Drunk

Proverbs 21:17

(9) It leads to Poverty, Idleness, Laziness

Has anything caused more people to lose their jobs, destroyed their career, put more people on welfare, created more bums…made more people who won’t work….than booze?

How many lonely wives and hungry children have waited at home while the husband takes the paycheck to the local tavern and spends it all….only to come home drunk later that night?

Mel Trotter, later became a Christian Leader,  used to tell about his days as an alcoholic before he was saved….He tiptoed into the funeral parlor and stole the little shoes from his dead infant’s tiny feet to sell them for another drink…..

Proverbs 23:21

(10) It’s High Cost to Society

Where would auto insurance rates be with no alcohol?  Why prize have we all paid because of the accidents caused by drinking & driving?

Court costs

Prisons and jails filled at tax payer expense

Welfare supporting families who husband is drunk

Health insurance rates increased due to devastation of alcohol

William Gladstone “The ravages of drink are greater than those of war, pestilence and famine combined.”

Abraham Lincoln “Liquor has no defense.  Whether or not the world would be vastly benefited by total and final banishment from all intoxicating drinks, seems to be not an open question.”

Shakespeare cried, “Oh, thou invisible spirit of wine.  If thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee DEVIL!”

Proverbs 23:20; 1 Corinthians 5:11

(11) It’s Gets You with Wrong Crowd

   and Almost Always leads to More Sins

TV shows like Friends, Cheers, all show the tavern and the nightclub as the happy place to go to be with friends….

Wrong…..only heartache and misery there

The following poem illustrates this point clearly:

REASONS TO DRINK

WE DRANK FOR JOY AND BECAME MISERABLE

WE DRANK TO BE SOCIABLE AND ENDED UP ARGUING

WE DRANK TO BE COOL AND BE ADMIRED, AND ENDED UP BEING OBNOXIOUS

WE DRANK TO HAVE MORE FRIENDS AND ENDED UP MAKING ENEMIES

WE DRANK TO HELP UP SLEEP AND WOKE IN THE MORNING EXHAUSTED

WE DRANK TO APPEAR MACHO AND STRONG AND IT MADE US WEAKER

WE DRANK FOR HAPPINESS AND ENDED UP DEPRESSED

WE DRANK FOR MEDICAL REASONS AND ACQUIRED HEALTH PROBLEMS

WE DRANK TO HELP US CALM DOWN AND ENDED UP WITH THE SHAKES

WE DRANK TO GET MORE CONFIDENCE  AND ENDED UP DOING SOME REALLY STUPID THINGS

WE DRANK TO MAKE CONVERSATION FLOW MORE EASILY AND ENDED UP BABBLING LIKE A FOOL

WE DRANK TO HELP US DEAL WITH OUR PROBLEMS AND WE ENDED UP WITH MORE PROBLEMS TO WORRY ABOUT

1 Corinthians 6:10, 11

(12) It Costs you Eternally

Drinking can cost you in the future when we stand before the Lord.  If you are saved and have fallen to a life of  drinking at the tavern and nightclub….it will cost you at the Bema Judgment and cause loss of reward….and you will not ‘inherit’ the same rewards that you could have received….

Notice it didn’t say drinking will keep the Christian from ‘entering” heaven….

Romans 14:20-23

(13) It Causes YOU to cause Others to Stumble

Think about what your drinking does to others who see you drink…?

What does it do for your testimony?

How many people have you caused to stumble that you don’t even know of …..People who were close to coming to church and getting saved and then they say YOU drinking and it caused disillusionment

To that person?

What can it do to your children?   Studies prove children of  drinkers have a higher chance of drinking themselves….

MYTHS ABOUT  ALCOHOL

 (Proverbs 20:1)

SYMPTOMS OF ALCOHOLISM

 (Proverbs 23:29-35)

1. DISHONEST AND DECEITFUL

        Con-artist….lie after lie, dishonest about use of money, crafty schemes to defraud others,  Never-ending promises to quit..

2. EXPECT OTHERS TO LIE FOR THEM

     & cover for their drinking…..call & lie to boss , etc.

3. BECOMES  IRRESPONSIBLE & UNDEPENDABLE

      Don’t show up for work…..late…can’t keep a job…

Starts acting silly & immature

4.  ALWAYS BLAMING OTHERS FOR THEIR PROBLEMS

     Employer, spouse, parents, kids, etc.

5. LIFE CHARACTERIZED BY STRIFE & CONTENTION

   Everyday problems blown way out of proportion..

   Creates a certain level of chaos to mask their real problem…..so he can get others to feel sorry for….

6.  BRIEF PERIODS OF BLACKOUTS AND AMNESIA

     at work will just forget what they’re doing…etc.

7.  BECOMES MORE ANTISOCIAL

   Very uncomfortable around situations or people where no alcohol is present… family outings, etc.

   MOOD SWINGS …from one extreme to other

8. LOSS OF CONTROL OVER DRINKING

     Can’t predict or control HOW MUCH will drink or WHEN will stop…

9.  HIGH TOLERANCE FOR ALCOHOL

    Can really ‘hold’ the liquor without ‘getting drunk’

10. WILL TEMPORARILY ‘QUIT’ THE ADDICTION TO GIVE THE ALLUSION HIS PROBLEM IS SOLVED.

Denial – doesn’t want to talk about drinking…contrasted to boasting in the past….

STEPS TO RECOVERY FOR

THE ALCOHOLIC

1.  THERE IS NO HOPELESS CASE…

    (ie, he’s past getting help…..)  Alcoholic can be helped!

    For most alcoholics there is no easy way out of the addiction…Most alcoholics who don’t get help DIE…..

Either directly or indirectly because of the alcohol….

2.  ALCOHOLIC MUST COME TO A CRISIS, TURNING POINT.

  (Luke 15:14-18 – Story of Prodigal Son)

Billy Graham’s Guide to Personal Workers

“The Alcoholic desperately needs help.  AA maintains that until the Alcoholic hits rock bottom, realizing and admitting their life is out of control and they’ve got a problem they cannot handle, there is little of hope of any change."  Admitting the problem and wanting to do something about it is the first step to recovery.

Often only painful reality can cause an Alcoholic to seek help he or she so desperately needs…just as the Prodigal Son finally ‘came to himself’ while in the pigpen?  The sad reality is that many alcoholics must spend some time in the pigpen before they come to themselves and realize they need help!

Erwin Lutzer (Seven Snares of the Enemy) lists some of these crisis points:

3.  THE ALCOHOLIC MUST COME OUT OF HIDING

    Stop the masquerade & the denial and admit they have a problem and they can’t handle it, and God Can!

Reason AA is so popular…….each meeting filled with fellow travelers who have had the same problem.

I can’t do it….God Can…..I think I’ll let Him…..

God cannot help those who think they can help themselves….

4. INTERVENTION BY A LOVED ONE TO GET THE ALCOHOLIC INTO A RECOVERY PROGRAM

(Luke 10:30-34 – Story of Good Samaritan)

Family members or friends can help the addict reach the bottom more quickly…..before it is too late and they self-destruct or die…..

**Don’t wait for the Addict to get to the point of wanting help on their own because most die before they get there !!!!!

Recovery programs like AA help family members & friends to intervene BEFORE it is too late…..

Loving, yet but firm TOUGH LOVE…..ULTIMATUMS…

    Friendship to end?

    Spouse to separate & take kids away for safety & sanity?

Worse thing spouse or relative can do is to keep making excuses, denying, blaming others……

5. ASK GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND HELP

(Psalms 40:1-3)  AA’s ‘higher power’ must be the Lord God of the Bible for the Recovery to be full and complete!!

6. SEVER ALL RELATIONSHIPS THAT ENCOURAGE YOUR ADDICTION.

(Proverbs 23:20) – Get new friends that don’t drink!

7.  FIND SOMEONE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO….

    A Friend or relative….you can call when tempted…that meets with you regularly to encourage you….often can be someone who had ‘been there & done that’…….

8.  START BEING RESPONSIBLE…..GET A JOB

      Time on one’s hands…waiting for a welfare check or SS Disability check….won’t work…..

9.  THERE MUST BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ADDICTION.

(Ephesian 5:18)   Get busy serving the Lord…

   Find a good church….get busy…..study that Bible…

Get involved…don’t just be a spectator….get busy helping others.

10. LEARN TO RESIST SATAN

(James 4:7) ….pray for strength daily and find someone to pray for you regularly… If you fall, confess it, get back up, ask the Lord for help….keep going….

Learn to take life one day at a time with the Lord’s help……(Matt 6:33)

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP

THE PROBLEM OF ALCOHOLISM?

Total Abstinence….teach it to our kids…

Don’t be a part of any event where alcohol is involved…..Addiction always started with that first drink….

GRASS ROOTS INVOLVEMENT …..JOIN GROUPS LIKE M.A.D.D. and S.A.D.D…..and share lessons like this….

SET THE PROPER EXAMPLE YOURSELF…

As a parent don’t drink ….

As a young person….be a peer counselor and good example to younger people…..and show them how they don’t need the booze to be cool……

PUSH FOR TOUGH LAWS ON DRUNKEN DRIVING AND MANUFACTURE OR SELLING OF ILLEGAL DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

ELECT OFFICIALS WHO WILL CARRY OUT THE TOUGH LAWS  FOR THOSE WHO WOULD ENDANGER OTHERS…