Gambling Is A Bad Bet!
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Sermon Delivered 5/18/03
Today’s message will focus on gambling. Gambling
is a serious problem in America today. More than 100,000,000 Americans
gamble on some level. More than 300 billion dollars are spent on gambling
in this country each year. It is estimated that organized crime makes an
additional 20 billion in illegal gambling revenues each year to boot, and
uses it to finance other vices that tear apart the moral fabric of our
country. Gambling is becoming an ever-bigger problem, particularly in our
state. We have state lotteries, multi-state power ball, dog racing, and
the Indian Nation gambling establishments. Not to mention online gambling,
and illegal gambling of all kinds.
I want to establish several facts as we begin this
message.
-
Fact #1 – It is God who gives us the power to get
wealth.
Deuteronomy 8:18 "But thou shalt remember the LORD
thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth,
that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as
it is this day."
God gives us the health, mental abilities and
capabilities learn a job, carry out its responsibilities and faithfully
show up each day. Therefore, we should gain wealth in ways that God
approves of.
- Fact #2 – Wealth is to be gotten in a God glorifying
way.
1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or
drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
Jeremiah 17:11 "As the partridge sitteth
on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth
riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days,
and at his end shall be a fool."
This is a particularly interesting verse relating to
getting money improperly. Just as a mother bird who sits on eggs the do
not belong to her only to discover that they rot and are of no value, so
it is with someone who gains wealth in a way the does not glorify God, it
will end up useless.
Honest gain is what God demands. Dishonest gain, such
as wealth gained through stealing, prostitution, cheating people, selling
alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. is an abomination to the Lord.
- Fact #3 – Wealth is to be gained by working hard.
Proverbs 13:11 "Wealth gotten by vanity
shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase."
- Fact #4 – Greediness, or more technically
avarice (excessive
or insatiable desire for wealth or gain) is the mother of all kinds of
sin and sorrow.
Proverbs 15:27 "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house;
but he that hateth gifts shall live."
Proverbs 28:20 "A faithful man shall abound with
blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent."
1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is the root
of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the
faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
It is my contention is that gambling is an
attempt to get unjust gain. Gambling does not glorify God! Gambling is
sin.
Focus on Gambling
Gambling Defined
Gamble, 1. to play at any game of chance for
stakes, 2. to stake or risk money or anything of value, on the outcome of
something involving chance: gamble on the result of a race, 3. to lose or
squander by betting. The Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary adds,
"to bet on an uncertain outcome."
The Three Elements of Gambling
The following three elements must be present for
something to be defined as gambling…
1. A Pay Off
2. The Element of Chance
3. The Stake (the money or article of value) Risked
by the Bettor
Therefore, buying insurance is not gambling. The
purpose of insurance is to spread the liability and risk of accident,
illness, injury or death around. Insurance does not create the risk. It is
a universal risk that all people face. It is probably the most effective
way of seeing that needs and expenses incurred, if such should happen, are
able to be paid for. Investing in the stock market is not gambling.
Gambling is generally a win or lose proposition. If you buy a lottery
ticket, you either win or lose. In the stock market if you buy $1000
dollars worth of stock, generally your stock will go up or down, but you
do not usually lose your entire $1000. Buying stock certainly is
SPECULATING, but there is a difference between speculation and gambling.
The Types of Gambling
Many of us got our first taste of gambling on the
school playground flipping baseball cards, playing marbles for keeps or
pitching pennies. When mom found out I was playing odd or even with my
marbles, she put an end to it quickly. That was gambling and that was not
allowed in our family. But, that is small change compared to hard line
gambling. Let's look at, and define some categories of gambling...
- Gaming -- playing for money in any game of
chance, such as slot machines, roulette, bingo, craps, pay-off pinball
machines, punch boards, dream books, chain letters, pyramid money games,
poker, black-jack, etc.
- Betting -- staking money on an event, which the
outcome is doubtful. Examples are, horse or dog racing, cock or dog
fights, tennis, hockey, football, basketball, hockey, baseball, pool, etc.
You can bet on just about anything.
- Lotteries – A lottery is the distribution of
prizes by the drawing of lots. Most states run a variety of lotteries.
Pick three and power-ball are among the most popular in our area.
- Sweepstakes and Raffles – More than 50 countries
around the world have sweepstakes, like the Irish Sweepstakes.
Technically, a raffle is a lottery where each participant is buying a
chance to win. If you buy a ticket or two for a good cause, with the
purpose of it being a donation to a worthy organization, I do not see any
problem with that.
- Pools – A combination of betting and lotteries.
The most popular is the check pool at work, though there are football
pools, etc.
In summary, all the above are recognized as gambling
because each clearly contains the three elements of gambling - 1) A payoff
2) The element of chance 3) The stake that is risked.
There are five good reasons a Christian should not
gamble…
- Gambling Is Poor Stewardship of What God Has
Entrusted To Your Care
The Bible is clear. Everything we have belongs to God.
We are just caretakers. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 "Let a man so account
of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of
God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found
faithful." A faithful steward does not squander money on gambling. The
late M. R. DeHaan said this about gambling: "to risk money haphazardly in
gambling is to completely disregard the Biblical truth that our
possessions are a trust for which we must someday give full account to
God!" (M. R. DeHaan). Gambling is poor stewardship of money; therefore we
should not gamble.
- Gambling Is Based On Covetousness, The Desire To Get
Rich Without Working
Gambling is an attempt to get something for nothing
twisted by the willingness to take a risk. It is the desire to "get rich
quick" without working for it. The desire to gamble is fueled by the love
of money and we know "the love of money is the root of all [kinds of]
evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). Note the rest of the verse, "…which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows."
We are warned about the "something for nothing" and the
"get rich quick" craving in the Bible. Proverbs 10:4 says "He
becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent
maketh rich." Again Proverbs 28:20 &
22 says "A faithful
[honest] man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be
rich shall not be innocent. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye,
and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him." Finally,
Proverbs 13:11 says "Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but
he that gathereth by labour shall increase." One writer paraphrased it
this way -- Wealth from gambling quickly disappears; wealth from hard work
grows. Gambling is motivated by covetousness. Therefore we should not
gamble
God commands us to live a life of faith and trust in
the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). In fact, we are to make it our first
priority to seek and serve the Lord and trust Him to provide our needs (Matthew
6:33). When a person gambles, the focus is all together different.
When a person gambles, the focus shifts from trusting God to trusting in
LUCK, CHANCE & FORTUNE. A careful study of Isaiah 65:11-12a makes
it clear that God abhors trusting in luck, chance and fortune instead of
him. Gambling is idolatry. Therefore we should not gamble.
In gambling, let it be clearly known in order for a
person to win, someone has to lose! "The gains of the winners are paid at
the expense of the losers. In winning, one receives the wages that another
person has earned without giving anything in exchange." (Gambling, Kober;
p.2 & 8). Just because it is robbery by consent does not make it right.
Gambling is nothing more than sophisticated stealing. Ephesians 4:28
says "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour,
working with his hands the thing which is good,
that he may have to give to him that needeth." Gambling is stealing.
Therefore we should not gamble
Ask Pete Rose or former Secretary of Education Bill
Bennett and they will tell you that gambling is addictive! Did you know
that teenagers are three times as likely as adults to become addicted to
gambling once they are exposed to it? Teenage gambling has become a major
problem! Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church warning them not to become
addicted to anything. He wrote, "All things are lawful unto me, but all
things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be
brought under the power of any." 1 Corinthians 6:12 There is only
one thing that is to be in control of the believer’s life and that is THE
HOLY SPIRIT (Ephesians 5:18). There is no doubt that gambling is
addictive. It "gets in your blood". Gambling is addictive and therefore we
should not gamble.
Clearly, gambling does not glorify God. If you gamble, repent and quit.
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