A few years ago the news was full of the events of the nightclub in Rhode Island. The week or so before that it was the nightclub in Chicago. Why is there so much new coverage about what took place? Is it because of the number of people that perished in the blaze? Is it because of the use of pyrotechnics? Were they used illegally? These question will be answered sooner or later in the courts, but I wonder why all the news coverage? I do think it was a tragedy but for different reasons than the news media gives. Let us look at why it was a real tragedy.
It was a tragedy as to where they were. In both cases the people were at a nightclub. Is there anything wrong with being at a nightclub? What goes on at a nightclub? I have no first-hand experience at what goes on in one of these clubs but I will go on hearsay. If it is wrong to do go by hearsay then please tell me what Paul did when he wrote 1 Corinthians? Consider 1 Corinthians 1:11, “For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.” He wrote this whole letter by what had been said by this one household, hearsay! But let us proceed. I did see on the films recording the event and played on the television that there was drinking. Is it wrong to drink? Consider what the Bible says about it. Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Proverbs 23: 31-35, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt in not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.” This is a pretty good and vivid description of a drunken person.
Also consider these passages I Corinthians 6:9-10, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” In this last passage there are two words that those who were participating in the nightclub scene ought to know about one is drunkenness and the other is revellings. All these passages and more can be used to show that drinking is wrong. This was a tragedy because these people will give account of themselves in state of drunkenness.
But some on says, what about 1 Timothy 5:23, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” How many in that nightclub had stomach problems? How many had infirmities? If you are sick do you want to go to places like that? When I am sick I know where I want to be and it is no place like that. This verse does not allow the drinking of alcoholic beverage for everyday consumption nor does it allow the drinking of alcoholic beverage for, as we say social reasons. The Bible warns us not to drink alcoholic beverage, but you can’t warn some people.
But what else goes on at a nightclub? In the New Testament passages quoted above, what takes place in those nightclubs is condemned. But also 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Now the nightclubs in Rhode Island might be different from those around here, but for the one around here evil is there and a Christian has no place at being there. Ephesians 5:11, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Does “unfruitful works of darkness” take place at a nightclub? The answer is yes. A nightclub is no place for a Christian. These people will give an account for what they were doing before the Just and Mighty God. How tragic this is because they could have been Christians and stayed away from a place like that.
It was tragedy because of the loss souls. What if we could get people to be concerned for their souls like they want to have what they call a good time (is that really a good time?)? What if we could get people to want to hear a Gospel sermon like these people wanted to hear the band or participate in sin? What a tragedy that these people did not obey the Gospel! What a tragedy that some will not heed the warnings about dying and still in their sins.
But what is your desire?
Love, Keith
