You are having a drink at home and the pastor of your church knocks on the door, what do you do?
That would be a problem because our pastor has asked all of the staff to not drink. So if my pastor came to the door while I was having a drink, I would clearly be in disobedience.
However, if I were just a regular congregant and not under our ministry covenant? I'd just set it aside, invite him in and offer him a Diet Coke.
It's the evening of your daughter's first date, would you open the door to greet your daughter's date with a can of beer in your hand?
That would be rude no matter what it is that you are drinking in your hand. You should go to the door as the host or hostess with empty hands so that you can accept the desert that this sweet boy has brought you to buy you off right from the beginning.
If your non-drinking parents are coming to stay for the weekend and they don't know you moderately partake, what becomes of the alcohol in your home?
It would be set aside for the weekend.
If any of these situations would prompt a change in your behavior at that moment, what does that say if anything?
Well, let me ask you a few questions to go with this?
Let's say you are BBQing a great steak and your vegetarian pastor came to the house? What would you do with your steak?
Your elderly neighbor rings the doorbell at an .... inopportune time as you are with your spouse. What would you do?
If you are laughing it up and having a nice time with some friends and you get a phone call that another friend of yours was just killed in a car accident, how would you change what you are doing?
You are sitting down and praying hard for the needs of the neighborhood people around you and your neighbor comes to the door to speak to you about an argument he had with his wife, would you stop praying?
If these situations would prompt a change in your behavior at that moment, what does that say, if anything?