Addictive Behaviors

1
Addictive Behaviors

• Gambling

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Labor, not Lottery

• God planted a garden with ample provisions (Gen.
  28)
• Man to tend keep it (Gen. 215-17)
• Entrance of sin Ground cursed
• Man would eat by sweat of brow (Gen. 317-19)

Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Gift of God Labor the Ability to Enjoy its
Fruit

• Eccl. 518-20 18 Here is what I have seen
  It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink,
  and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which
  he toils under the sun all the days of his life
  which God gives him for it is his heritage.

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
4
Gift of God Labor the Ability to Enjoy its
Fruit

• Eccl. 518-20 19 As for every man to whom God
  has given riches and wealth, and given him power
  to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice
  in his laborthis is the gift of God. 20 For he
  will not dwell unduly on the days of his life,
  because God keeps him busy with the joy of his
  heart.

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
5
Our Concern Today

• How one chooses to obtain, use and enjoy the
  good of all his labor
• The priority being placed on material possessions
  (Matt. 624, 33)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
6
Do not Trust in Wealth(Matthew 621)

• Psa. 6210 Do not trust in oppression, nor
  vainly hope in robbery If riches increase, do
  not set your heart on them.
• 1 Tim. 617 Command those who are rich in this
  present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in
  uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives
  us richly all things to enjoy.

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Do not Trust in Wealth(Matthew 621)

• Rather than be content, many are minded to be
  rich, and
• fall into temptation and a snare, and into many
  foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in
  destruction and perdition. (1 Tim. 69)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
8
The Wisdom Welfare of Labor

• Prov. 1211-12 He who tills his land will be
  satisfied with bread, but he who follows
  frivolity is devoid of understanding. The wicked
  covet the catch of evil men, but the root of the
  righteous yields fruit.

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
9
The Vanity of Gambling

• Eccl. 510 He who loves silver will not be
  satisfied with silver Nor he who loves
  abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
10
Gambling Invites Impatience, not Contentment (1
Tim. 66-8)

• Gamblings appeal is raw greed It is material,
  fleshly, worldly, profane passing (Heb. 1125)
• Gamblings hope is false futile
• Gambling deceives millions plunges many into
  sinful addictive behavior

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
11
Popularity of Gambling

• Costlyand Convenient
• 482 billion wagered in 1994
• 2002 Super Bowl 4 billion wagered
• Legal wagering on NCAA mens basketball tourney
  surpasses Super Bowl
• Internet 6 billion revenue in 2003
  estimated to be 17 billion by 2009

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
12
Culture of Gambling(Prov. 115-16)

• In 1910, virtually all forms prohibited
• Americas pastime (14 never gambled)
• 2003 3 times more Americans visited casinos
  than baseball games
• 2003 Spent more on casinos than amusement parks
  movies combined
• 50 played the lottery in 1998
• Considered harmless diversion

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What is Gambling?

• Not merely risk, Eccl. 911
• wagering of money or other item of value on an
  uncertain event (Encarta, 2004)
• to play at any game of chance for stakes to
  stake or risk money, or anything of value, on the
  outcome of something involving chancebet
  wager (Random House College Dictionary, p. 542)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
14
Two Elements

• CHANCE

• WAGER
• on the outcome of that chance

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15
What is Gambling?

• Normal risk of business is not gambling as we are
  discussing it
• Farming has risks (weather, pests, disease,
  weeds, etc.)
• Farmer minimizes risk by intelligent planning,
  careful calculations, hard work and prayer!
• His profit is not at the expense of others,
  and the risk is not contrived

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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What is Gambling?

• A wager is made whereby one stands to gain at
  the loss of others
• Risk is engineered into the game
• Object is to win while others lose
• Winnings once belonged to the losers
• It is not a victimless activity in which
  nobody gets hurt

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
17
Legal Forms of Gambling in the State of
Washington

• horse racing
• punchboards and pulltabs
• fund raising events such as casino nights, bingo,
  raffles, amusement games
• contests of chance operated by charitable and
  non-profit organizations
• card rooms
• the lottery
• casinos bingo halls
• (Washington State Council on Problem Gambling,
  http//www.wscpg.org/index.html)

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What is Gambling?

• Problem of identity
• Gambling industry prefers GAMING
• Fund raising, revenue enhancement, recreation,
  entertainment, disease

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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What is Gambling?

• Problem of identity
• Types of gamblers
• Casual Social, Serious Social
• Relief and Escape, Problem
• Pathological or Compulsive
• Antisocial and Professional
• (Types of Gambling Behavior,
  WSCPG,
  http//www.wscpg.org/h/types.htm)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
20
What is Gambling?

• Problem of immorality
• Gambling is sin!
• Fulfillment of worldly lusts (1
  Jno. 215-17)
• Not holy living (1 Pet. 115-16)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
21
Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Covetousness, Lk. 1215 (Rom. 139)
• Covet (epithumeo) to fix the desire upon to
  long for, lust after, covet (Vine, 136)
• Covetousness (pleonexia) lit., a desire to
  have more (Ibid.) Eager for more
• Greediness, Eph. 419
• Not to be named among saints, Eph. 53

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
22
Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Covetousness, Lk. 1215 (Rom. 139)
• Idolatry Desire fixed on riches not on God,
  Eph. 55
• Gambling worships the false god of money put it
  to death! Col. 35-6

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
23
Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Selfishness (Matt. 2239)
• Love does not harm its neighbor but gambling
  does! Rom. 1310
• Gambling is a selfish ambition that esteems self
  above others, Phil. 23 (2 Tim. 32)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
24
Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Waste of material blessings, Luke
  1610-12
• Rejects responsibility of stewardship in pursuit
  of the elusive pot of gold
• Serving riches shows hate for God, Lk. 1613

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Evil companions, Jas. 311-12
• Greed, covetousness, dishonesty
• Domestic violence, child abuse, adultery
  broken homes
• Theft, extortion, fraud, organized crime
  prostitution
• Alcohol, drugs, murder suicide

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Evil companions, 1 Cor. 1533
• Destroys credibility, honesty, reliability
  family stability
• Causes great sorrow, pain and regret
• What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!
• Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
  than great treasure with trouble. (Prov.
  1516)

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Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Burden on society, Prov. 1434
• Gambling is generally viewed as profitable to
  society Regulated taxed by government
• Offered as a solution for funding education
  social programs

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Honolulu Police Department
• We are convinced that gambling exploits those
  who can least afford it, and undermines community
  values. For example
• 1. 15.4 million Americans are problem or
  pathological gamblers, with more than 50 percent
  between 12 to 18 years of age.

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
29
Sinful Traits of Gambling

• 2. Social and economic costs include
  unemployment benefits, welfare benefits, physical
  and mental health problems, theft, embezzlement,
  bankruptcy, suicide, child abuse and neglect,
  domestic abuse, divorce, incarceration, work
  absences, and homelessness.
• (Honolulu Police Department Website,
  http//www.honolulupd.org/nv/gamblingposition.htm)

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Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Burden on society, Prov. 1434
• Real cost 3 of taxpayers money for every 1
  raised through gambling!
• Christians must be salt light, Matt.
  513-16

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
31
Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Does not promote godliness
• Not the image of Christ, Romans 829
• Hinders sober, righteous and godly living, Titus
  211-12

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
32
Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Deceptive, Jas. 116
• Its just harmless entertainment
• Its a legal business enterprise
• Its for a good cause (Rom. 38)
• Its only wrong if you cant afford it (Prov.
  1412)
• It wont cost me my soul (1 Cor. 69-10)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
33
Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Deceptive, Jas. 116
• Selfishly exploits a lack of self-control
• While they promise them liberty, they themselves
  are slaves of corruption for by whom a person is
  overcome, by him also he is brought into
  bondage. (2 Pet. 219)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
34
Seduction of Gambling(1 Cor. 1533-34 Eph.
55-7)

• Present in the electronic media
• World Poker Tour (Travel Channel)
• World Series of Poker (ESPN)
• Celebrity Poker Showdown (Bravo)
• The Casino (Fox)
• (Online Gambling and Casino Reviews,
  http//gamblinglinks.com/nw_tv.html)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
35
Seduction of Gambling(1 Cor. 1533-34 Eph.
55-7)

• Present in the electronic media
• Internet gambling is exploding
• 73 million (up 20 million in 5 years) will visit
  online casinos an average of 6 times annually,
  losing billions of dollars

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
36
Seduction of Gambling(1 Cor. 1533-34 Eph.
55-7)

• Present on high school campuses
• Teenagers gamble sooner than they smoke drink
  (University of Minnesota, 1998)
• 87 gambled for money (96 Conn. study)
• 40 involved in some form of state-sanctioned
  gambling

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Seduction of Gambling(1 Cor. 1533-34 Eph.
55-7)

• Present on college campuses
• One Indiana U. junior lost 55,000 (mostly online
  poker) (Sports Illustrated, May 30, 2005)
• 85 involved in some form of gambling (23
  on weekly basis) (1991 study)
• 72 college football basketball players while
  in college (Univ. of Michigan, 1998)
• 672,000 students addicted in 1997

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38
Seduction of Gambling(1 Cor. 1533-34 Eph.
55-7)

• Present in many homes
• As close at the Internet TV!
• Wastes money, time energy
• Destroys trust security, leading to despair,
  divorce

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Seduction of Gambling(1 Cor. 1533-34 Eph.
55-7)

• Present at the workplace
• Office pool on the big game
• Establishes a pattern of acceptance
• Lessens resistance to other forms
• If a little gambling is okay, then whats wrong
  with more?
• Social gambling is defended by an appeal to
  consistency as being harmless fun

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40
Seduction of Gambling(1 Cor. 1533-34 Eph.
55-7)

• Present in the church
• Christians approving of and participating in
  lotteries, charity raffles bingo, casinos
• Increasingly tolerant of gambling
• Increasingly intolerant of reproof rebuke
• Covetousness should not even be named among
  you, as is fitting for saints (Eph. 53)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Sinful Traits of Gambling

• Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an
  evil heart of unbelief in departing from the
  living God but exhort one another daily, while
  it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened
  through the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb. 312-13)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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The Sin of Gambling

• Encourages laziness lust
• The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his
  hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all
  day long, but the righteous gives and does not
  spare. (Prov. 2125-26)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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The Sin of Gambling

• Discourages labor encourages get rich quick
  mentality
• He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
  but he who follows frivolity will have poverty
  enough! A faithful man will abound with
  blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not
  go unpunished. (Prov. 2819-20)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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The Sin of Gambling

• Encourages greed discontentment
• Gambling thrives on a constant desire for more, 1
  Tim. 69-10
• Be content, not covetous (Heb. 135)
• Coupled with godliness (1 Tim. 66-8)
• Faith in Christs provisions (Phil. 411-13
  Matt. 633)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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The Sin of Gambling

• Encourages selfishness (nobody gets hurt)
• Selfish heart does hurt others oneself!
• Lovers of themselves and lovers of money are
  truly unloving (2 Tim. 32-3)
• Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers
  of God (2 Tim. 34)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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The Sin of Gambling

• Encourages reckless stewardship
• Shows oneself to be unworthy of the true riches
  (Lk. 169-13)
• Trust in money will leave you bankrupt on the Day
  of Judgment (Matt. 1626)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling
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Beware of Gambling!

• A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and
  does not consider that poverty will come upon
  him. (Prov. 2822)
• With self-denial, we must follow Jesus
• as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from
  fleshly lusts which war against the soul (1
  Pet. 211)

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Addictive Behaviors Gambling