Proverbs 23:19 - 21
Gluttony is a lifestyle
I wonder if you have seen that great scene in the the Monty python film where there is a man over indulging himself with food to the disgust of the waiter. As the gentlemen eats he’s get fatter and fatter to the point where he is absoulutly full and he cannot eat anymore. His body looks like it will explode at any minute! Then the waiter encourages him to eat one more item, a waifer thin after eight mint, he refuses at first but then he is encouraged too indulge one more time... then upon eating the waifer thin mint he bodily explodes in the resturant. That is a comical take on gluttony but it is an epidemic problem in the UK and in the USA.
Gluttony; like lust is a carnal sin (involves the body) it involves perversions of physical appetites and in our voluntary behavioural response to the appetites.
In Leicester there wasa a man called Daniel Lambert Britons heaviest man was 19th cent 52 stone 11lbs, 9ft 4inch waist. Yet you can be as thin as a rake and still be a glutton !
Collins Dictionary; A person devoted to eating and drinking to excess.
1600A.D. Gluttony became to refer to overeating.
Gluttony is a major problem in the western world today more and more people are being diagnosed as clinically obese okay some may have some sort of chemical imbalance or whatever, but most cases are due simply to over eating!
Obesity Causes 30,000 deaths per year, in 1980 men 6% women 8%. 2002 men 19% women 20 % 2005. men 20%
women 25% half a billion pound a year spent related to heart disease. In the USA 27 %. Theses figures show a trebbling in 20 years.
And the environment we live in does not help with pumping advertisements and offers, to us 24 hours a day. We live in a world where excess is best !
Introduction;
If there was a word that could some up our generation, it would be excess. In all spheres of life, wealth to the point of greed, health to the point of pride, relationships to the point of lust, possessions to the point of coveting and food, drink and drugs all to the point of gluttony.
Like the movie star who may well have had five husbands, the football star with ten cars the pop star with endless parties !
Many live life excessively as if true happiness is found in these things. When in reality it brings with it burn out an emptiness. Even though many people are full of the things of this world in a sense excess is just a polite way of saying were Gluttonous in our sins today here in the west. And if we are going to be honest with ourselves that can spill out into our own lives do we have any excesses in our own lives as Gods people today do you suffer with the sin of gluttony?
Why should we refrain ?
Well proverbs 23:19. wisdom crys Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.
1Cor 6;19,20. Do you not know that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit , who is in you, whom you have received from God.You are not your own you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body. 3Jhn.v2.Body/Soul Good health.
Today even the secular world frowns upon gluttony. A glutton is self indulgent and greedy.
The Rich man and Lazarus
The context of the Rich man and Lazurus is that Jesus was addressing his disciples but as ever the Pharisees were there listening in also and always ready to criticise or sneer v14. They were a constantly watching Jesus Christ as he undermined their way of life which had become greedy and self indulgent in fact they were the ones who called Jesus a glutton yet truly they needed to look close to home !
Again preaching to disciples and the crowds He gives seven woes in Matt.23:25. “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisess, you hypocrites! you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self indulgence.”
Oour Society is self indulgent. In the 1980,s - 21st century the boom years in the UK we saw the rise of "Yuppies" they lived life in the fast lane they were the winners in the dot com revolution, even when bubbles burst still today there are those who are gluttons for excess in all areas of life.
If we are to be those who takes ones appetites excessively, extravagantly, for ones own personal satisfaction this means we are simply a selfish man and a glutton;
The rich man was of course rich, that’s no crime! he wore purple and fine linen, that’s no crime, and he feasted well no other evil is spoken of him. Yet it does appear that he was self indulgent with his wealth, possessions and appetites. (Pharisee view righteous)
The Bible tells us he lived in luxury every day or the AV tells us he fared sumptuously every day v19. His crime appears to be this he was selfish. His neighbour at his gate v20 Lazurus all he wanted was the crumbs which would have been casted to one side yet he got nothing !
Isnt that a picture of our society today we may not be criminals but we have got the best of everything and we fail to share it with those who so little?
Look what Abraham tells him v25. You received good, he received bad. A glutton will be self indulgent. He provided for himself alone. Excessively lived ! What about you ?
proverbs 23.1-4. Read. warning against self indulgence and greed,
Have you ever been on one of those cruise ship holidays? Where you dance with the captain and eat as much as you like? Imagine unbenown to you you are sailing past the coast of Africa where there is a millions of children starving to death and will not even have a grain of wheat. Gods word warns us in James. To the rich oppressors James 5:5. You have lived on earth in luxury self indulgence.
Mirrored in Luke 19 - 31. The Rich man cast into hell. The failure to obey God and share .
Even Christians in the Church in Corinth “Phago to devour and Esthio to eat.” 1Cor 11.20-22.
lets go to Corinth and to the fellowship meals or love feast that took place prior to the Lords supper. Not only was there divisions, but there had become a time when people ate and drank excessively while others went hungry others became self indulgent tucking into their own food when others went without. V21 here the word to eat in v21 in the Greek is ’phago’ which means to devour and the word goes ahead can also mean to devour ones own food. There was little sharing and caring going on many were being self indulgent not waiting, not sharing.
Collins dictionary; To eat up greedily or voraciously
A Christian should never be self indulgent to excess. Acts 4;32. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions, was his own but they shared everything they had.
Yet a glutton is unrestrained and wasteful
In the OT Deut,21;20. Laws for human relationships;
The rebellious son who is a glutton and a drunkard. The word here does not just mean his eating habits are over the top.nThe Hebrew word Zalal ; To shake to be loose morally, a debauchee a free liver, a prodigal one unrestrained. A glutton is one out of control the penalty of which under the Old covenant law would be stoning to death.
N.I.V. rendering Profligate; shamelessly immoral debauched, Wildly extravagant or wasteful.
Our Saviour Jesus Christ was Charged with Gluttony
A charge pressed upon our Lord himself Mtt.11.19 Lk.7.34. This of course was wrong but these pharisees had their pre-conceived ideas of Jesus opposite of John and his ascetic lifestyle, and their charge was that of the rebellious son. This of course was a false and unjust charge for Christ pleased not himself
Rom 15.3. For even Christ did not please himself. but as it is written “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
Never has any man lived such a life as Jesus a life of perfection. Here he is represented in league with them!
The prodigal son was given to extravagance in expenditure and wasteful living.Lke.15v13 N.I.V. He squandered his wealth in wild living. (AV) Wasted his substance and riotous living N.K.J. Wasted in prodigal living.
He was a young man who lived it up day after day living life in the Fast lane. Consider those in our culture past and present: James dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Michael Hutchin kirt Cobaine all these people were unrestrained, wasteful and wild.
Praise God the Son came to his senses and returned to the father. Yet many never do! Will you?
My own life was the life of the gluttonous prodigal, unrestrained and wasteful. How about you ? Are you living a wild life away from God, return to your heavenly Father he is waiting with open arms, he is full of compassion for you ?
Be self controlled, be like Christ. Titus 2;11,12.For the grace off God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright lives in this present age. (People are watching you!)
A glutton is also indolent ( lazy ) Titus 1.12 Cretans as Lazy gluttons
What do we do after worship striaght to Sunday dinner and then what? well were lazy we fall asleep.
Have you ever eaten so much, that you sit down and say I am stuffed I could not eat another thing especially on a Sunday ! Next minute you begin to feel really sleepy ! You sit down and your asleep.
Well can you know imagine if you fared sumptuously everyday of the week like the rich man would you get much done? Do you think you men would put on a few more pounds. Food has the habit of making us lazy !
Proverbs v19 calls us to be wise v20 not to join with those who eat and drink to excess v3 food can be deceptive ( Chocaholics weight gain ) food can also dull us into a false sense of security . It can make us feel comfortable, sleepy, lazy even forgetful.
What was wrong with this rich man he obviously cared for his accounts, he cared for his apparel and his appetites. He was really no criminal He was so taken in by the excesses of the world he had been deluded by his appetites. He had entered into spiritual Laziness.
To a point of neglecting his spiritual condition. He probably conformed going to all the Jewish services feasts and fasts (proper church goer , Mr good life , Mr in the family.) YET....
The religion of Christ requires a conformity not only in a mans conduct, but to the principles of the Gospel but also a conformity in his heart to the Spirit and mind of Christ. This is where his laziness lied.
When the titanic was under construction the design team had a five hour planning meeting. In which four hours 50 minutes were spent discussing the interior decorations and Ten minutes was given over to life boat provision.
Look what happen to the titanic it sank and it will happen to you also in the spiritual realm if you neglect the conformity of your heart and soul to the mind of Christ.
The appetites of excessive food, material things will make us spiritual lazy. Have you feed on the only food that satisfies? Jn 6.35.Jesus said I am the Bread of life he who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never go thirsty.
This is the Bread we need today are you feeding on Christ? Have you sin in your life? Have you been leading a gluttonous life one of self indulgence, unrestrained and wild or just a lazy life physically and spiritually ? Come to him dine with Jesus seek his wisdom his counsel in repentance and faith.
Aubrey Vaughan cbchurch.org.uk
