Carousing

I. Introduction
   A. Party!
   B. Everyone likes a good party
   C. But when you think of a party, what comes to mind?
   D. There are many enjoyable and innocent parties that take place
   E. Nevertheless, for millennia, mankind has engaged in parties 
      that are not so innocent
   F. Festivities involving overconsumption of alcohol and food, 
      and its resultant activities, are things that many do
      1. Especially the young
      2. House parties, keg parties, and the like these days
   G. Are they just good fun? 
   H. The Bible calls such things carousing, revelries, or orgies, 
      and they are condemned as a work of the flesh in 
      Galatians 5:21
   I. Let us consider the matter from the Scriptures

II. Carousing
   A. What is under discussion?
      1. Carousing: Drinking hard; reveling (Webster's)
      2. Revelry: Noisy festivity; clamorous jollity (Webster's)
   B. Greek word: komos:  a revel, carousal; a nocturnal and riotous 
      procession of half drunken and frolicsome fellows who after 
      supper parade through the streets with torches and music in 
      honour of Bacchus or some other deity, and sing and play before 
      houses of male and female friends; hence used generally of 
      feasts and drinking parties that are protracted till late at 
      night and indulge in revelry (Thayer's)
   C. Carousing addressed in three passages
      1. Romans 13:13: considered a work of the darkness, not to be 
         done
      2. Galatians 5:21: a work of the flesh
      3. 1 Peter 4:3: a work of the Gentiles; Christians should be 
         past the time of carousing!
   D. Does this mean that Christians cannot have a good time or to 
      have a "noisy festivity"?
   E. What, specifically, is under consideration here?

III. Carousing and Drunkenness
   A. The issue of carousing/revelry is less about having a good 
      time as it is about the drunkenness and other conduct that 
      goes along with it!
   B. The revelry/carousing/orgies that are discussed are really 
      drinking parties!
      1. Called symposia in the ancient world
      2. Today they are called parties or keg parties or the like
      3. Alcohol freely flows
      4. Drunkenness is expected!
      5. Other drugs may be introduced and used
      6. Inappropriate sexual activity may also take place
   C. All of this is reckoned as sinful!
      1. Drunkenness and the pursuit thereof condemned as a work of 
         the flesh just before revelry in Galatians 5:21
      2. Drug use reckoned as sorcery, condemned (Galatians 5:20)
      3. Inappropriate sexual activity as sexually deviant behavior 
         and lasciviousness, also condemned (Galatians 5:19)
   D. The main vehicle of all of this sin is the excessive 
      consumption of alcohol!
      1. Rightly condemned!
      2. Proverbs 23:29-35
      3. Proverbs 20:1
      4. How many stupid decisions have been made while drinking at 
         such a revelrous party?
      5. How much foolishness and sin been committed in such 
         contexts?
   E. It should be clear, therefore, that Christians should have no 
      part in such events!
      1. Why would we want to participate or even be near such 
         revelry?
      2. What good comes from a climate of heavy drinking and 
         other drug use?
      3. How many temptations of immorality are there in such a 
         place?
      4. What business does the Christian have with revelrous 
         parties?
      5. How can we be self-controlled and sober-minded and do 
         such things (1 Peter 4:7)?

IV. Conclusion
   A. Carousing-- as prevalent today as it was in the first century
   B. There are plenty of revelrous parties about with people 
      engaging in drunkenness, drug use, sexually deviant behavior, 
      and lasciviousness!
   C. There is nothing good or holy in such parties, and Christians 
      would do well to avoid them
   D. We can engage in activities with fellow Christians and others 
      that do not involve alcohol or other such things!
   E. Let us be self-controlled and sober-minded and avoid carousing 
      and revelry!
   F. Invitation/songbook