## Are You Gambling?

## Luke 12:13-21

My first exposure to gambling was from my mother. She was, of course, quite sophisticated and definitely an art connoisseur. In my parent's bedroom hung this classic artwork, "Dogs Playing Poker". Years ago, gambling was confined to back rooms, race tracks, and the occasional bingo hall. Not any more! According to the July 2004 report of the National Institute of Justice, twenty-three states have Indian-owned casinos on tribal reservations within their boundaries. Seven states permit betting on riverboat casinos State-run lotteries operate in 37 States and the District of Columbia. Only Hawaii and Utah have no form of legalized gambling. What about our state? Since the Hoosier lottery's inception in 1989: there has been total sales revenue of nearly 9 Billion dollars! Last year, the Hoosier lottery sold about 354 million tickets. That's an average of 969,836 tickets daily, enough ticket sales to fill the RCA Dome 17 times - every day of the year! Gambling is big business! But the message this morning isn't about the Lottery, casinos, or playing poker! There is a gamble that is so much more serious. Gambling with things of eternal value! In our text this morning we read of a man who gambled on the future…

Read: Luke 12:13-21

I. Gambling that there will be another opportunity for salvation. Cf. Luke 12:13-21

A. This man didn't get another opportunity.

1. God said he was a fool.

2. He thought he had many years, but God said, 'This night thy soul shall be required of thee."

3. He thought it was party time…eat drink and be merry…but it was reckoning time.

B. We have no guarantee of another opportunity.

1. God may, in His mercy, grant us another opportunity to prepare for eternity…

2. But it is presumptuous for us to expect it!

Pr 27:1 "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

2Co 6:2b "… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

C. Have you been gambling on another opportunity?

1. Maybe you are one of the folks who has said, "One of these days…"

2. The Roman governor, Felix responded to Paul's testimony and witness by gambling on another opportunity.

Ac 24:25b "…Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."

3. Later, King Agrippa responded in a similar manner.

Ac 26:28, "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."

II. Gambling that God's warnings do not apply and that the His judgment will not be severe.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

A. The religious crowd of the N.T. thought that God's warnings surely didn't apply to them.

1. John the Baptist warned them to repent…to change direction…turn around in their thinking!

2. John told them that they couldn't count on their heritage as God's chosen people.

3. Nor can we count on anything short of a personal relationship with God.

B. There will be a day of judgment.

1. No one will be exempt!

2. Either we accept God's provision, in Christ, or we will be judged ourselves.

3. Jesus Christ went to Calvary to pay the price for our sin…

4. He died that we might have eternal life.

C. Some have foolishly thought that God's judgment will not be severe.

Re 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

1. Hell? That is old-fashioned!

2. Surely you don't believe that Hell is a literal place of fire and torment!

3. And surely you don't believe that God will send anyone to such an awful place, do you?

4. Yes, I do!

5. Why? Because Jesus had more to say about Hell than He had to say about Heaven…

a. He tells us that it is a place of unquenchable fire…

b. He tells us that it is a place of darkness…

c. He tells us that it is a place of great torment…weeping and gnashing of teeth

d. He tell us that it is the eternal destiny for all who reject God's provision for salvation!

6. Consider the rich man of Luke 16

a. Perhaps he thought that his wealth would provide him security for the future…

b. Perhaps he thought that somehow it would be alright…even without God.

c. But a split-second after he died, the Bible says he was in Hell…in torment.

Lu 16:22b-23a, "…The rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…"

d. Listen to his cry in v24

Lu 16:24 "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."

III. Gambling that we will have plenty of time to serve God.

Joh 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Joh 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

A. Do you sense the urgency in the Savior's challenge?

B. How long…before we serve Him?

C. How many souls must die and go into a hopeless eternity before we get serious about our service to Him?

Ro 14:10b "… For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

Ro 14:12, "… Every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

Are we gambling today? Gambling with things of eternal importance. If you have never placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, do not gamble that you will have another opportunity…a more convenient season. Come today and trust Him. Do not gamble that God's warnings do not apply or that His judgment upon sinful man will not be so severe…Turn to Him right now.

Christian, do not gamble that you will have plenty of time to serve Him with your life. Come today and commit yourself to Him. Realizing that there is a world who is dying…a harvest of souls that is waiting for you to enter into the fields of labor.

Whatever the need this morning, come.