What The Bible Says About Gambling
(Text: I Timothy 6:6-10)
By: Barry L. Cameron
ILL. In 1994, the leaders of St. Malachy’s parish in Chicago decided to find out what influence the Illinois state lottery had upon its parishioners. So, one Sunday morning, the members were asked to bring their losing lottery tickets and place them in the offering plates. The church gathered more than $5,000.00 worth of tickets. Not bad for a church with a regular weekly offering of $300.00.
ILL. Tom Watson (“Don’t Bet On It”) “Three-fourths of all Americans queried in a variety of polls now ‘see nothing wrong with gambling.’ If you share that sentiment as a Christian, you are the victim of a massive confidence game that is draining the moral, spiritual and -- yes, even the financial resources of our nation.”
Watson goes on to say, “During the course of any given year, two-thirds of all Americans wager money, legally or otherwise--on some sort of change outcome. Most of them lose, but that doesn’t stop them from betting. The money that changes hands each year in illegal betting alone now surpasses the preposterous total of our national deficit.”
* Pollsters tell us that 80% of the Catholics surveyed, classify themselves as gamblers. (That makes Catholics unchallenged leaders in an ecclesiastical hierarchy of gaming enthusiasts.)
- Not far behind are the Jews at 77%.
- Presbyterians and Episcopalians are at 74%.
- Methodists check in at 63%.
- Only 43% of Baptists surveyed said they gamble.
* 33% of the members of non-denominational groups admitted they did a little betting now and then.
- That last figure sounds low when compared to the denominational churches, but it means that one out of every three conservative Christians have no convictions against gambling.
ILL. Moody Monthly (May/1994)
“Not all risk-taking is evil, of course. An athlete might devote years of training and expense for the uncertain dream of an Olympic medal. An investor might empty a savings account to purchase stock or launch a new business. Such decisions may be wise or foolish, depending on the degree of risk, but they are not inherently wrong.
Gambling is different, both in motivation and in outcome. It appeals to greed, sloth, and selfishness--sins that Scripture condemns in no uncertain terms (Luke 12:15; Proverbs 6:6-11; Philippians 2:3,4). The gambler assumes irresponsible risk in hope of unearned gain at the expense of less fortunate players.
In addition, gambling violates the Christian concept of providence. To purchase lottery tickets or play casino games shows dissatisfaction with God’s means of financial provision. It’s no coincidence that gamblers are notoriously superstitious. Having lost sight of the sovereignty of God, they grope for any method, no matter how dubious, to manipulate the forces of fate.”
ILL. Several years ago, the Mathematics Department at Miami’s BARRY UNIVERSITY said that the odds against winning a lottery with any single lottery ticket were 7.25 billion to one.
- Some odds calculators said that a person is 3.5 times more likely to be killed by lightning and 5 times more likely to be eaten by a shark than he is to win a state lottery jackpot.
Isaiah 65:11-12. The people of Israel had forsaken the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for the twin gods of Fortune and Destiny. (Money and Chance)
- They worshipped these false gods like the people of Ephesus did in Acts 19:23-29.
* Here, Paul confronts Demetrius and the goddess Diana.
- Paul always brought about one of two responses: REVIVAL or RIOT.
- Here it was a RIOT.
* Christians who stand for Christ are going to cause some conflict in the world!
- Demetrius made silver shrines of the goddess DIANA and was making big bucks from it.
- When Paul arrived and started preaching the gospel, it ruined his business.
The People In Ephesus Were Motivated By Three Things:
1. A Profit Motive (Acts 19:24-25)
- They opposed the gospel because of the money they were losing.
2. A Propaganda Machine (Acts 19:25-28)
- This is bad for our business, our reputation and for our religion.
* Demetrius was a master at manipulating public opinion.
* You can’t trust the world to tell you the truth.
- In 1982, Jane Fonda’s exercise book was #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List for weeks.
- At the same time, Francis Schaeffer’s book: “Christian Manifesto” sold twice as many books, but wasn’t even mentioned. (The world knows how to manipulate the media.)
3. A Persuaded Mob (Acts 19:29)
- Soon the whole city was in an uproar. (Mob psychology)
- The biggest religion in America is the cult of the CROWD. They worship at the altar of conformity and their favorite song is “Everybody’s doing it.”
* Those who promote gambling will always be characterized by these three things:
1. A Profit Motive
2. A Propaganda Machine
3. A Persuaded Mob
* 25,000 people shouting a lie doesn’t make it the truth.
The Bible Is Not A Book Of Minute Laws And Rules, But Rather A Book Of Great Principles:
* You won’t find a verse that says, “Thou Shalt Not Drive Through A School Zone At 110 Miles Per Hour.”
- You will find a verse that says, “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”
- You can find loopholes in laws and rules.
* So, when we talk about gambling, don’t expect to find a verse that says, “Don’t Play Blackjack!” or “Don’t Bet On The Horses!” or “Don’t Play The Lottery!”
* Also, remember that it’s not wrong to live life adventurously. In fact, Jesus rebuked the man in the parable who buried his talent in the ground because he wanted to play it safe!
- The Bible says, “He that considers the wind will not sow.”
- Every farmer who plants crops takes a risk because there might be a drought.
* When it comes to gambling, for every winner there has to be a loser.
- One person gets what another person has.
HERE ARE THE PRINCIPLES THAT GAMBLING TRANSGRESSES:
(1) THE PRINCIPLE OF HONESTY.
- Gambling violates the 8th and 10th commandments.
- Exodus 20:15, “Thou Shalt Not Steal.”
- Exodus 20:17, “Thou Shalt Not Covet your neighbor’s house, wife, manservant, maidservant, ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
* Gambling is nothing more than robbery by mutual consent.
- “But, it can’t be wrong if two people agree to it.”
Example: Duel. We take two pistols. Walk 10 paces. I shoot the other person. Because we agreed to this duel does it make my killing right?
- It two people consent to gamble, it doesn’t mean it’s right. It means that both parties are full of greed and covetousness and want what the other person has.
- Mutual consent doesn’t make it right. It’s stealing.
- He who wins is a thief. He who loses is a fool.
* In Gambling, both parties are out to take what the other person has.
Note: You do know that casino owners don’t gamble in their own casinos or in other’s either.
- They’re not that stupid.
Quote: Tom Watson, Jr. (“Don’t bet on it.”)
“A former casino owner told me, ‘Casino owners never gamble. We know we’ll get our 15 percent no matter who gets lucky or who folds…The owners know that they can always count on greed to even the score.”
I Timothy 6:10. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. And the love of money is at the very heart of gambling.
(2) THE PRINCIPLE OF LOVE (Matthew 22:37-39)
- You can’t love your neighbor as yourself if you’re trying to take something that is his.
- Gambling is pleasure and profit at the expense of someone else’s pain, suffering and loss.
* Some estimate there are over 50 million gambling addicts in America.
- One of every 10 gamblers becomes addicted to it.
- Gamblers end up hurting their families and children by making them victims.
* Everything about gambling goes against the principle of love.
Gambling Preys On The Poor:
* The tables at Atlantic City and Las Vegas do their biggest business on the days the welfare checks come in the mail.
- The majority of lottery tickets are purchased by people in the lower middle class and below.
What Does That Tell You? That the people who can least afford to gamble are the most common victims of the gambler’s snare.
* If you could prove to me that our city and state would be better off financially through gambling, I’D STILL BE AGAINST IT! - I would pity someone who favors taxing men’s weaknesses and profiteering on human misery!
(3) THE PRINCIPLE OF WORK.
- II Thessalonians 3:10. “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”
- Ephesians 4:28. “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”
* Work is an essential ingredient of the divinely created order. Gambling mocks the need for work by selling the illusion of gaining something for nothing.
* Gambling is economic fraud. It doesn’t produce wealth. It just shifts it from the hands of the many into the hands of the few.
* We need gambling about as much as a drowning man needs a drink of water.
(4) THE PRINCIPLE OF TRUSTING GOD.
- Matthew 6:25-34.
- Isaiah 65:11. God warns against forsaking Him to follow other gods.
- The gambler ceases to trust in God and places his trust in the gods of Fortune & Destiny.
(Money and Chance or Luck)
* Our English word Luck comes from the name of a pagan goddess.
- I don’t want good luck, I want God.
- God leaves nothing to chance (Matthew 10:30 - Hairs of your head are numbered.)
* Some people say they gamble for recreation. Good recreation: relaxes, renews, refreshes & restores.
- Gambling produces: misery, tragedy, crime, greed, and covetousness.
- The saddest faces you’ll ever see can be found walking out of casinos.
(5) THE PRINCIPLE OF WITNESS (I Corinthians 10:31-33)
- When we gamble we compromise our testimony.
- The Bible is clear that we should live in such a way that others are drawn to the Lord rather than causing them to stumble.
(6) THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP (Matthew 25:14-30)
- The Parable of the Talents.
- The Bible is clear that we are going to be called to give an account for how we invest our treasure.
TWO SURE THINGS:
1. Your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)
2. JESUS Will deliver you if you’ll ask Him.
* So, the question remains: “Can you gamble and still be a good Christian?
I WOULDN’T BET ON IT!!
