2008-08-04 12:00:00
"Find out what pleases the Lord" (Ephesians 5:10).
I spoke in our church yesterday on the topic of gambling. My pastor asked me several months ago to deal with this topic while he was on vacation. Members of the church were asked to share topics they would be interested in hearing and this was one of their requests. In fact, the specific question was, "Is the lottery sinful?"
After the service Brooksyne, Ester, and I greeted the folks as they left the sanctuary and Bill approached me. With a twinkle in his eye he said, "After that sermon I sure won't be gambling; you can bet on it."
Gambling in its many forms is growing in acceptance today and, as is typical with all sin, lesser forms that were once prohibited tend to become more acceptable in all circles. The state lottery was started in Pennsylvania in 1971, thus many have grown up with this as an acceptable practice (according to state law). Now we are seeing the growth of casino gambling which is heavily promoted by our current governor. Commercials, radio jingles, junk mail, coffee cup holders, you name it...these various forms of gambling are now encouraged by our own government as a solution for the funding of "good causes."
I preached hard yesterday since all through my ministry I have seen firsthand the destructive elements of gambling and do so to this day. In the past week Brooksyne and I have dealt with those experiencing the terrible consequences of gambling.
Yesterday Brooksyne shared with our congregation a brief story about her grandfather, who was a compulsive gambler [To see her story, click here for more daily encouragement.]. I also weaved into my sermon several illustrations about my experiences in dealing with gamblers as a pastor and chaplain. My short answer is, "Yes, I certainly believe that the lottery and all forms of gambling are sinful, destructive, and our participation does not honor God."
The challenge in preparing the message is that, like many sins, there is not a specific Biblical prohibition about the lottery. But there are several Biblical texts that demonstrate God's attitude toward gambling.
I approached the message from the perspective of the daily verse, "find out what pleases the Lord." Several principles from Ephesians 5 Biblically inform us as to how we may please the Lord regarding this issue and it would certainly apply to many other topics as well:
1. We are called to be imitators of God. (V. 1)
2. There should not be a hint of evil in our behavior. (V. 2)
3. We are not to be deceived by empty words. (V. 6)
4. The Bible cautions against ungodly partnerships. (V. 7)
5. We are called to live as children of light. (V. 8)
6. We are to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness. (V. 11)
7. We are to be very careful, then, how we live—not as unwise but as wise. (V. 15)
The Apostle Paul writes of an ongoing need for the child of God to "find out what pleases the Lord." Today may we all deeply understand just how much our heavenly Father loves and cares for us. Let us freely submit to Him as obedient children earnestly seeking to find out what pleases Him.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, help us to consider the way we live our lives; not as children of the dark, but as children of the light. May the light of Your Holy Spirit guide us in all that we do, so that You are glorified and our spirit is edified. As we read and meditate upon Your Word we are able to see what pleases You, Amen.
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