Hey, men. We’re continuing on in our series, 7 Deadly Sins. Today, we’re looking at another one of those sins that’s probably sneaking up on more men than they would think. We’re talking about the sin of gluttony. If you’re not overweight, if you’re not given to drunkenness, you may think this is something that other guys deal with, but we’re going to see that the sin of gluttony isn’t just about the amount or type of food we eat, but our attitude towards food.
I remember when we did this sermon series and I kept looking ahead to the next week and wondered, “When am I going to finally hit an easy one that I don’t struggle with?” I thought for sure it would be gluttony or sloth, which we haven’t covered yet, but as I dug into God’s word, I realized I did have areas in my life that were gluttonous.
In the dictionary, gluttony is defined as an unhealthy obsession with food or drink. Many of you would probably say, “That’s not me.” But as believers, what if we defined it this way: undisciplined use of food or drink, or not being led by the Holy Spirit when it comes to my relationship with food. Now, all of a sudden, I recognize there may be areas of gluttony in my life.
For example, if you spend a significant amount of money eating out every month and yet you’re not generous to others or to God’s kingdom, is that gluttonous? If you have to have two to three cups of coffee in the morning just to get going and to avoid a caffeine headache, is that gluttonous? I know, some of you are like, whoah Pastor John, you just crossed a line. Did you really just say something negative about coffee? That’s heresy! Maybe it’s not the amount of food, but types of food your doctor has told you to limit because you’re battling high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but you just can’t seem to control those urges. Is that gluttonous? I would submit that all of those examples probably are gluttonous and at the very least could be. And I would also say that what might be gluttonous for me, might not be for you, and vice versa. We have to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in this area, just like every other area of our lives. So I hope you won’t check out today because you think gluttony is an issue that doesn’t affect you. I hope you’ll ask the Spirit to speak to you and help you identify areas where this might be an issue.
Southern Church and the pot lucks, “Baptists worship with food”, Church and fast food restaurants are almost 1-1 ratio (not really) but I cannot recall hearing a sermon or teaching on gluttony. Huge blind spot for me.
God gave us food for our enjoyment, but he also gave us boundaries. Enjoying food isn’t bad; even Jesus let people have their fill.
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- Ecclesiastes 9:7 So go ahead, eat your food with joy , and drink your wine with a happy heart for God approves of this.
- God approves of this. He doesn’t just permit it, he approves of it. Talks about the heart attitude we have as we enjoy God’s gifts to us. Eat with joy, drink with a happy heart. An attitude of gratitude for God’s provision.
- Proverbs 24:13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good. Honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
- In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was actually commanded to celebrate 7 feasts per year. There was a lot of symbolism involved. It was just about eating, but they were feasts. Food was involved in each of them.
- Matthew 14:20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers.
- This is in the context of the feeding of the 5,000 miracle. They all ate as much as they wanted. Some translations say they ate until they were full. Jesus provided extravagantly. He didn’t just give them a few crumbs. Notice they picked up the leftovers. They were good stewards of the resources. I think wastefulness can be a sign of gluttony, or maybe a symptom of gluttony.
- Jesus was actually accused of gluttony by the religious leaders. We know he wasn’t gluttonous because he was perfect. He never sinned. He enjoyed a good meal in the fellowship of others.
- But he also gave us boundaries
- Proverbs 23:21 Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty.
- Our gluttony can lead us to poverty. It can lead us to obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. But it’s not just a financial issue or health issue. It’s a spiritual issue.
- Isn’t it interesting that the first boundary God gave mankind involved food?
- Adam and Eve could eat from any tree in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Gluttony is a false pathway to comfort, using food and drink to satisfy a deeper craving in all of us. A glutton uses food much like an addict uses drugs.
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- Culture makes it so easy to slip into gluttony – variety of foods we have access to, portion sizes,
- All you can eat buffet – not only give into gluttony you justify it – “I have to get my money’s worth!”
- Comfort Food – “Just like mom used to make” trying to tap into memories of recipes we had as kids – for most of us this brings back thoughts of security, laughter, warmth – but these are only temporarily met with food. The satisfaction is so fleeting and ultimately falls short of what we’re really craving.
- John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever, and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.
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- Only Jesus can solve that spiritual hunger that we all have. Only he can solve the yearning for relationship .
- Jesus said, when you eat physical bread, you’re going to be physically hungry again. If you eat the living bread that came down from heaven, you’ll never be spiritually hungry again. You’ll still need physical food. We’ll all need that while we’re here on earth, but we don’t need to use physical food to try and satisfy a spiritual hunger. Let me try to give a couple of practical examples of how this plays out –
- Let’s talk about boredom. Research shows that many people overeat because of boredom. You don’t find meaning or purpose in your life. Eating can be an attempt to distract yourself from that experience. But where is ultimate purpose and meaning found? In Jesus Christ – being in relationship with him and being on mission with him leads to that abundant and full life that is anything but boring.
- Another example would be stress. Chronic stress can trigger us to overeat. How do we ultimately learn to deal with stress in a way that brings real relief versus just a temporary distraction? By finding peace through Jesus, by connecting with him through his Word and through prayer and asking him to bear fruit in our lives.
- Ephesians 5:18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.
- Often, we’re drinking too much alcohol because we’re trying to create something only the Holy Spirit can genuinely create. Maybe we’re trying to generate courage to face up to a difficult situation. Or we’re struggling with some tough issues and we’re trying to use alcohol to either cope with it or numb the pain. We want to feel joy and happiness, but unfortunately, it doesn’t lead to genuine happiness. It’s only a counterfeit substitute. The happiness, numbing, or courage it does bring doesn’t last and actually leads to pain and brokenness in the long run.
The antidote to gluttony is both fasting and feasting, putting food in the proper place in our lives. It’s learning to find our ultimate satisfaction in Jesus.
- Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, ,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.
- Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control
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- Feasting with the right attitude – thankfulness, generosity, patience
- Fasting
- I incorporated fasting into my spiritual journey on a monthly basis about two years ago. It has had a major impact on me. Forces me to recognize my dependency on God’s strength and provision in a very tangible way.
- Revelation 19:9 And the angel said to me, “ Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”
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- What a feast that will be. A feast in the presence of God. Only one way to be invited to that feast – a relationship with Jesus – gospel presentation.
- So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
- Practically, what does that look like?
- We eat with thanksgiving, generosity
- Inviting someone to join us
- Not taking the biggest piece of cake or best looking burger on the grill
- Exercising self control
- Incorporating rhythms of fasting
