I Won! I Won! ... Oh wait, maybe not

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last couple of weeks, you know that America has been all a-twitter about the Mega Millions Jackpot Lottery. By Tuesday evening of last week the prize had grown to $1.5 billion. (Yes, that’s a “b” for billion). Someone in South Carolina picked the winning numbers in Tuesday evening’s drawing, and if they take the lump-sum cash payment they will pocket $878 million dollars. ILLUS. To get an idea of how much that is, you could spend $50,000 a day for the next fifty years. Of that $1.5 billion prize the Federal Government will get $592 million in taxes — which will fund the U.S. Government for twenty-six hours. The state of South Carolina will get about $144 million in taxes.

The day before the drawing some people were standing in line for up to three hours to purchase tickets. In Massachusetts stores were selling approximately 10,000 per minute. In California players were buying 200 tickets a second. Your odds of winning were 1 in 302,575,350.

ILLUS. I don’t know who figures these things out, but you're far more likely to ...

• ... get murdered at the Grand Canyon. You have a 1 in 8,156,000 chance of getting murdered at the Grand Canyon. That’s 35 times more likely than winning the jackpot. So watch your back.

• ... accidentally suffocate in bed. You have a 1 in 4,459 chance of dying from accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed. That's 65,530 times more likely than winning the lottery.

• ... have quintuplets naturally. If you're trying to get pregnant, your odds of naturally having five babies at once is 1 in 55,000,000. That's five times more likely than hitting the jackpot.

But don’t despair. If your feeling that the odds are in your favor there is still the Powerball Lottery Jackpot that stands at a measly $750 million. (Gosh, that’s hardly worth playing, is it)?

Gambling’s advocates often will be heard saying, "All of life is a gamble," as though playing the lottery, pulling handles on slot machines, or marking Bingo cards at the Legion Hall, are little different than investing in your 401K retirement plan. The tragedy is that gambling has such widespread acceptance of the American public. Nation-wide 69% of Americans say gambling is morally acceptable. Even 48% of those who weekly attend religious services say gambling is acceptable.

Fifty years ago, only one state — Nevada — had casinos. Only two -- New Hampshire and New York — had lotteries. Now, all but a handful of states have both, and with the addition of online gambling, the industry's overall net worth has been valued at $240 billion. And gambling appears poised for another growth spurt, with many states looking to formally allow betting on sporting events.

Friends, gambling is a sin, pure and simple. Let me tell you why.

I. GAMBLING IS SINFUL BECAUSE IT UNDERMINES BIBLICAL VALUES

1. gambling undermines at least four major Christian values

A. IT UNDERMINES CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP

1. Christians are to put their trust in God for their financial resources, not in blind fate or the luck of the draw

2. the Bible teaches us that all things in this world belong to God

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” (Psalm 24:1–2, NIV84)

a. if everything we have really belongs to God — and it does — then we are merely stewards of the things we own

b. we are to handle God’s resources wisely and gratefully

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2, NIV84)

3. gambling is nothing less than the reckless investment of God-given resources

a. your chances of being struck by lighting are greater than winning it big by gambling

B. IT UNDERMINES CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE

1. the Bible teaches that believers are to possess self control

“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12, NIV84)

2. the mere existence of Gamblers Anonymous implies that gambling can be addictive

ILLUS. In America today there are more 10 million people who cannot control their gambling habits. Another 15 million are at risk. Compulsive gamblers cost society an average of $100,000,000,000 billion dollars each year. 60,000 families in Missouri have gambling addicts in the household.

3. gambling becomes a snare that traps many in a vicious cycle of addiction

a. many people begin gambling because it looks fun

1) there is an euphoria to winning in a game of chance

b. but for many of these people, it entraps them and soon they are spending huge sums on gambling

4. wherever the opportunities for gambling increase, you will find growing numbers of pawn shops and Gamblers Anonymous groups

C. IT UNDERMINES CHRISTIAN CONTENTMENT

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:6–10, NIV84)

1. instead of working hard for what we earn, gambling encourages us to expect huge returns at the expense of someone else

a. it encourages people to invest their dreams, and their hopes for a better future into a infinitesimal probability

2. instead of being content with what we have, gambling encourages us to be discontent and dissatisfied – always wanting more

a. this is often the first step down the path toward covetousness and greed

ILLUS. I’ve had people tell me over the years, “Awh, I just gamble ‘cause it’s fun.” Yeah? Really? What if the winnings were removed altogether? Would it still be “fun” to plunk down $15 bucks to scratch off numbers you know would never get you anything? Do you think the Casinos and Lotteries would still prosper? “Hey! Come spin our wheel of fortune. You’ll win absolutely nothing, but it’s fun! If there wasn’t the prospect — however remote it may be — of winning the jackpot, how many would still play ‘just for the fun of it’? Oh yeah, I forget. Folks are gambling so they can support their local school system. Silly me. By the way, the gambling proceeds that we are repeatedly told go to “support public education” make up a whopping 4% of the state's funding for public education.

b. the casino operators and lottery officials promise wealth with ease, but in reality they take wealth away – billions and billions of dollars of it

ILLUS. If you know anything about statistical analysis, you would know that the odds of winning at gambling are stacked high against you. It’s one of the reasons the United States leads the world in gambling losses. According to the Economist magazine, U.S. gamblers lost $117 billion legally in 2016 and another $150 billion was wagered with bookies on illegal sports betting.

c. gambling caters to a person’s base materialistic desires and capitalizes on a person’s lust for gain

1) gambling promotes the worldly philosophy that says, it’s more blessed to receive than to give

3. the result of coveting after riches through gambling is that it leads to the believer choosing money over God

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (Matthew 6:24–25, NIV84)

D. IT UNDERMINES CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE

1. gambling destroys one’s Christian influence

ILLUS. Tertullian, one of the early Church Fathers, said of gambling: “If you say that you are a Christian when you are a dice player, you say what you are not, because you are a partner with the world.”

2. in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, the Apostle Paul instructs believers to abstain from even the appearance of evil

a. all of our actions should glorify God

1) but gambling does not glorify God — even if you should strike it rich and promise to give 10% to your church

3. friends, let me tell you something — gambling may have become socially acceptable, but that doesn’t mean that a Christian should participate in it

4. Gambling Undermines Core Christian Values

II. GAMBLING IS SINFUL BECAUSE IT MOCKS THE CHRISTIAN WORK ETHIC

1. our nation was founded on the principle of hard work and honest gain

a. but gambling is the attempt to obtain the resources of others without providing equal value in return

2. the Scriptures give us three means of gaining legitimate wealth

a. honest work is a legitimate means of gaining wealth

"Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, But the one who gathers by labor increases it." (Proverbs 13:11, NASB95)

"Those who till their land will have plenty of food, but those who follow worthless pursuits have no sense." (Proverbs 12:11, NRSV)

1) folks, I can’t think of a much more worthless pursuit then gambling

ILLUS. Early 1986, the year lottery tickets began being sold in Missouri. Elderly gentleman in Adrian: “I won! I won!”

2) gambling demeans the God-given place of work, and trust in His providence to take care of you

3) believe it or not, God designed work to be blessing for us and, according to Colossians chapter three, says that we are to work as if we were working for the Lord Himself

b. investment is a legitimate means of gaining wealth

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” (Matthew 25:14–18, NIV84)

1) who is commended in this parable?

2) the two individuals who earned a profit by investing what had been intrusted to them

c. receiving a gift is a legitimate means of gaining wealth

“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35, NASB95)

3. gambling circumvents these three legitimate methods of gaining wealth and destroys a proper work ethic

a. it fosters a something for nothing attitude

b. it mocks disciplined work habits, thrift, prudence and the relationship between effort and reward

4. Gambling Is Sinful Because it Mocks the Christian Work Ethic

III. GAMBLING IS SIN BECAUSE IT CORRUPTS GOD’S PLAN FOR GOVERNMENT

1. does anyone here this morning happen to know what the Missouri state motto is?

a. it is “The Welfare of the People Shall be the Supreme Law”

ILLUS. Think about it ... from “don’t drink and drive” and “stay in school” to “buckle up for safety” and “the truth about smoking” our government takes a protectionist and proactive approach to our welfare. But when it comes to the lottery, our government spends millions of dollars per year advertising to encourage you to participate in risky behavior! Missouri legislators expect your trust when they tell us, “just say not to drugs” while at the same time encouraging you to participate in an activity that they know that 99.8% of participants will be losers, and that might lead to compulsive behavior that can destroy your life and your family. And all for revenue.

We also know that a third of all lottery winners will eventually declare bankruptcy — meaning they were worse off than before they became rich. Other studies show that lottery winners frequently become estranged from family and friends, and have a greater incidence of depression, drug and alcohol abuse, divorce, and suicide than the average American. If it were any other activity that produced these results both state and federal governments would be prohibiting the activity.

b. our government’s job is to protect the people, not fleece the people

2. every Missouri legislator who supports gambling mocks our state motto

a. don’t ever be fooled into believing that our government is merely allowing its citizens to gamble legally

1) if the lottery or the race track or the casino boats are going to earn money, then the government is going to have to become a pusher and promoter of gambling — and it has

b. they have been forced into bigger and bigger advertising campaigns as people quickly discovered you really can’t win

1) our Missouri Lottery Commission hawks tickets like they are some kind of wonder drug for an ailing budget, and an under-funded school system

2) yet, all the while the push and promote gambling, they know that 99.8% of the people who play must come out losers

3. the result is that our state government has turned its back on the very people it has sworn to protect

a. the purpose of government – according to Romans 13:1-7 – is to serve and protect citizens under its authority

b. but when government legalizes gambling to supplement taxes, it transforms itself from a protector to a predator

c. every Jefferson City politician who pushed to allow gambling to come to Missouri is responsible for the strip-mining of wealth out of our communities

1) they ought to be ashamed of themselves

4. Gambling Is Sin Because it Corrupts God's Plan for Government

IV. GAMBLING IS SIN BECAUSE IT VIOLATES THE GOLDEN RULE

1. gambling is predicated on the losses, pain and suffering of others, because for you to win at gambling, others must lose

2. is this a Christian way to look at others?

a. neighbors are to be treated as an end, not as a means to an end

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. " (Romans 13:8, 10, NIV)

A. LOVE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS MEANS REFUSING TO EXPLOIT THEM FOR SELFISH GAIN

1. betting in any kind of state-sponsored gambling is one of the most subtle and insidious ways of exploiting your neighbor

a. tomorrow hundreds of thousands of Americans will purchase a lottery ticket or visit a casino bet on a sporting event

b. I guarantee you that they will not be thinking of all the wonderful things that are going to happen in their state as advertised by the slick promotions that promise to support their schools and pave their highways

c. they are going to be thinking about one thing and one thing only, "Maybe this is my lucky ticket to success and fortune."

2. people gamble for one reason—the hope of winning big bucks

a. but there is a catch

b. for you to win big bucks in a lottery or at the track or at the casino a whole bunch of someones have to loose big bucks

3. depending on others to loose so that you can win is exploitation of one's neighbor

a. it's using your neighbor as a means to an end – your personal gain depends upon their personal loss

4. Paul echoes the teachings of Jesus when he writes that the only dept we are to owe to another is the continuing debt of love one to another

a. when we busy our selves with paying off this debt, Scripture tells us we are accomplishing what God expects of us

5. Jesus goes so far as to combine the two greatest commandments into one

a. in Mark 12:31 he says, ". . . there is no commandment greater than these."

6. what Jesus is saying is important and relevant to us this morning

a. he is saying that our love for God must be the determining criteria for how we treat our neighbor

1) if we love God with all our heart then we are going to treat our neighbor as a person of worth, with honesty, and basic human dignity

2) to abuse them or to use them as a means to an end to our personal benefit will simply not occur to us

7. the Christian who truly loves his or her neighbor will practice loving people and using things

a. the Christian who buys a lottery ticket — even only occasionally — shows that they'd rather use people and love things!

b. true neighborliness will refuse to exploit people even if they are willingly open to that exploitation

B. USING PEOPLE AND LOVING THINGS IS NOT THE WAY OF CHRIST

1. according to the Bible, every human being is a person of infinite worth – created in God's image

a. each is a person for whom Christ died

2. how then, does this principle speak to the issue of state-sponsored gambling?

a. Jesus and Paul instruct us to love our neighbors in such a way as to further their well-being

b. this is a tall order in a society which has so openly embraced gambling

1) it is a tall order because it is so tempting to do what is legal and socially acceptable even though it may not be Christian

3. the Scriptures call on us to love our neighbor

a. this calling encourages us to take the "high road" of Christian principle and Biblical justice

b. it means that even though you have the legal right to gamble that you will refuse to do so because it violates a higher loyalty and the clear Biblical teachings of being a good neighbor

In this age of moral degeneracy and materialistic pursuit, we should see gambling for what it is. Gambling is the result of a society that has lost its moral bearings. In the absence of real spiritual meaning, people are turning to other forms of fulfillment. For many people, the accumulation of wealth is the only gauge that they have to measure the success of their lives. When money becomes the defining issue of success, then those who do not have enough money will flock to any opportunity to get it. Gambling is promising millions of people the success that they believe has eluded them. God tells us that money is a poor gauge of success. The true gauge of success is godliness and personal spiritual growth. As God’s people, we must make these our consuming passions — not money, and certainly not gambling.

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