OceanSide church of Christ




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Smoking
by: Dalton Gilreath

I.                Facts about smoking

A.    More than 480,000 die every year to smoking

                                                    i.     That is 50 people per hour

                                                   ii.     Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the country

B.    Some 14 million live with a related illness each year

                                                    i.     That is thirty times the amount of people that die

                                                   ii.     This includes cancer, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, etc

C.    3, 450 teens try their first cigarette every day

                                                    i.     This is usually due to the influence of another

                                                   ii.     More than 80% of adult smokers started before the age of 18

II.              Spiritual Problems

A.    Nicotine is a poison

                                                    i.     It is comparable to cyanide but more diluted

                                                   ii.     It used to be used in insecticides

1.     We must remember our body is not our own and we must treat it properly (1 Cor 6:19)

2.     Paul says to cleanse ourselves from the “filthiness of the flesh” (2 Cor 7:1)

                                                 iii.     Putting harmful things into our bodies that have zero nutritional value is hard to justify

B.    It is addicting

                                                    i.     Peter explains that being overcome by something means being in bondage to it (2 Pet 2:19)

1.     If I am overcome by smoking I am in bondage to it

2.     I am violating this passage and others about temperance

                                                   ii.     Paul said he would not be brought under the power of anything that wasn’t godly (1 Cor 6:12)

1.     Smoking gets power over you when you can’t say no to it

2.     Addictions cause us to lose control and violate  God’s word

C.    It hurts our influence

                                                    i.     We are to let our shine before men (Matt 5:16)

1.     That isn’t discussing cigarettes of course

2.     Even smokers know that many are turned off by smoking

3.     No one would light a cigarette up during a Bible discussion

                                                   ii.     Paul would do anything to save souls (1 Cor 9:22)

1.     Nothing should hinder us from teaching others

2.     Anything that hurts our influence needs to go

D.    It is questionable

                                                    i.     If you don’t believe it is wrong you must agree it is questionable

                                                   ii.     Some consider it to be unclean (Rom 14:14, 23)

1.     Doing something so questionable is not pleasing to God

2.     Paul avoided anything questionable so as not to lead others to sin (1 Cor 8:8-13)

E.    Stewardship

                                                    i.     We must be good stewards with all God gives us (1 Pet 4:10)

                                                   ii.     This includes, but is not limited to, finances

1.     In Florida, cigarettes cost $6.29 a pack

2.     The average smoker smokes a pack a day

a.     That is $44 a week, $190 a month, $2,296 a year

b.     That is not good stewardship

III.            Arguments

A.    The Bible doesn’t say not to

                                                    i.     Remember silence is prohibitive not permissive (Heb 7:14)

                                                   ii.     This could be said about abortion, drugs, and instruments of music

                                                 iii.     The Bible does not have to call something specifically wrong in order for it to be sinful

B.    It is not what goes in the defiles (Matt 15:18)

                                                    i.     This is a poor interpretation of a discussion about the heart

                                                   ii.     Jesus’ point is that what goes into the heart defiles not what we eat

C.    Overeating is a bad habit as well (1 Cor 6:19)

                                                    i.     We must be consistent and any addiction can be sinful it’s true

                                                   ii.     However, overeating being sinful does not make smoking acceptable

D.    It doesn’t hurt others

                                                    i.     This couldn’t be more false

                                                   ii.     It hurts others physically and spiritually

1.     53,800 die yearly from second hand smoke

2.     Others can be led to sin by my influence (1 Cor 8:13)

E.    It is none of your business

                                                    i.     Actually it is our business (Gal 6:1-2)

                                                   ii.     We are to help one another through our sin and burdens

IV.            Conclusion

A.    For those of you who may struggle with smoking please remember 1 Corinthians 10:13

B.    This temptation is not unique for you and you CAN escape the addiction