Gluttony: The Most Tolerated Sin Sermon Series: A Look at the Seven Deadly Sins Proverbs 23:1-2, Romans 12:1-2

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1 Gluttony: The Most Tolerated Sin Sermon Series: A Look at the Seven Deadly Sins Proverbs 23:1-2, Romans 12:1-2 Rev. Michael D. Halley Novemb er 26, 2017 Suffolk Christian Church Suf folk, Virginia Last Sunday After Pentecost Christ the King Sunday ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Seven Deadly Sins are pride envy anger sloth (laziness) greed gluttony, and lust This list had its origin in the early fathers of the church. You will also find in the Bible, in Proverbs 6: , and in Galatians 5: , similar lists of sins that God especially hates. So, we are taking a few Sundays to look at this traditional list of sins and how we can deal with them and overcome them in our lives. Today, gluttony, the most tolerated sin. Isn t this incredible timing by God? Here we are speaking about gluttony just three days after our wonderful national holiday which centers around sumptuous family meals. By the way, I do hope each of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving celebration.

2 Page -2- I said last week that talking about greed is not easy, and neither is it easy to talk about gluttony. So, what is gluttony? I have found two definitions of gluttony, both from Webster s 3. The first has to do with eating and food. This definition simply says that gluttony is excess in eating or drinking. The other definition is this: greedy or excessive indulgence. Let s look first at gluttony as excess in eating or drinking. First, let me say that not a single soul here today who needs to bow your head in any kind of shame or feel that others are looking at you with judgement in their eyes. No finger-pointing allowed -- ever! Hold your head high, sisters and brothers in Christ! This is not about condemnation... it is about grace. Every one of us, I am sure, struggles to some extent with regard to our diet. If we are honest with ourselves, most (if not all!) of us have a dysfunctional relationship with food: we love it and we hate it. Some of us are like a billiard ball, careening around the table between stuffing our stomachs and going on a crash diet. Restaurants don t help much, do they?... Do you want fries with that?... How about we super-size your happy meal today?... Our 22 ounce sirloin is on special today. And dessert: German chocolate cake with a diet Coke, right? Gluttony is probably the most tolerated sin in America today 4. We don t hear of any politicians being driven from office because of this sin, do we? Nobody goes to jail for it. We tolerate it because it affects all of us to some extent. The first biblical example of gluttony comes from the early chapters of

3 Page -3- the book of Genesis. It was the appetite which was the downfall of the first man and the first woman. It could have been murder, theft, or whatever, but it was the appetite which was the downfall of these two. In Genesis 3:6 it tells us that the fruit of the forbidden tree represented much more than just a snack for Eve. Instead, the forbidden fruit embodied Eve s deepest cravings: cravings for pleasure, for beauty, for wisdom. Rather than satisfy these cravings within the boundaries of God s good design, Eve opened her mouth -- and her heart -- to rebellion. 5 Proverbs 23:1-3 gives us this advice, reading from the Easy-To-Read Version 6 : When you sit and eat with an important person, remember who you are with. Never eat too much, even if you are very hungry. Don t eat too much of his fine food. It might be a trick. Is it ok to feast every now and then? Of course! Where did Jesus reveal his first miracle? At a wedding feast, in the town of Cana, in Galilee (See John 2:1-12). It s about being moderate, isn t it? But there is that other side of gluttony, greedy or excessive indulgence. And this aspect of gluttony goes beyond just food. We all like nice things, don t we? Nice houses, nice automobiles, nice clothing, nice vacations. Nothing wrong with wanting these things, is there? At least that is what we tell ourselves. And the truth is, things are just that: they are things. Things have no feelings, no heartbeat, no soul, no thoughts, no language. They are inanimate objects, not good not bad. But there is a bit of seduction at play here, and that is what gets us in trouble with the gluttony of things. There is an allure to such things isn t there? Especially when we see others around us amassing things in their lives. We then become a bit jealous, don t we? And that leads to our wanting

4 Page -4- the same things in our life. When does such desiring of things cross the line from being an innocent desire for nice things to become the sin of gluttony? Let s ask someone who might know where that line is. Talk with a compulsive gambler, for example. I am sure you will hear a story that starts with the innocence of playing games of chance. Just having a little bit of fun, they would probably tell you. But gradually and at the time unknown to them, a line was being crossed, and the fun turned into a compulsion. Not all recreational gamblers become compulsive, of course. But there is always that danger lurking nearby, isn t there. Can that happen with our own greedy or excessive indulgence? Just because we can do something or buy something does not mean we should. Remember that little piece of advice. Many of you will recall the early days of television. When the TV set quit working... as they often did in those days... we called the TV repair person. Often the repairman found the problem right away: it was not plugged into the electrical supply. Our battle with gluttony is a matter of self-control, and self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: ), and we can only be fruitful and influential if we are plugged in to Christ. The Holy Spirit fortifies us, and we grow in [godly] character so long as we are plugged into the power supply God. 8 Hear again from Saint Paul in the 12 th chapter of Romans: And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you. (Romans 12:1-2, TLB 9 )

5 Page -5- Don t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, be a new and different person, a living sacrifice to God. My dear friends, believe the Gospel. Open up your heart to receive our Lord Jesus. Obey him in every way. Give to God what is His only. Let us pray together: Our heavenly Father, save us from the sin of gluttony. May we ever be vigilant in living lives of moderation. Yet, let our love and service to you be grandly extravagant! We pray this through Christ our Lord. Amen. +==+==+==+==+==+==+ All Scripture references are from New International Version, NIV, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, by Biblica, Inc., unless otherwise indicated. +==+==+==+==+==+==+ Sunday Sermons from Suffolk Christian Church are intended for the private devotional use of members and friends of the church. Please do not print or publish. Thank you. Suggestions for sermon topics are always welcome! 1. The sins listed are: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. 2. The sins listed are: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy;

6 Page -6- drunkenness, orgies, and the like. 3. Merriam-Webster, m-w.com. 4. See Johnathan Bowers article, America s Most Tolerated Sin: Eight Lessons on Gluttony, February 18, 2015, Johnathon Bowers is assistant professor of theology and Christian worldview at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 5. Quoted from Killjoys: The Seven Deadly Sins ( 2015, Desiring God), p. 74. Website: desiringgod.org. 6. Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), copyright 2006 by Bible League International 7. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control Sermon Illustrations About Self-Control, July 19, 2017, 9. The Living Bible (TLB), copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation.