Mark 8:34-38
The
bigger the bet - the greater the gamble.
In this passage Jesus warns about gambling with your life…your
soul…eternity.
In rural Alabama it’s not uncommon to hear someone use the
word “bet.” I bet you will…I bet I won’t…How much you bet? I bet he will…I bet he
won’t…How much you bet? There’s
nothing the Devil likes better than for you to bet your life. Gamble with your
soul. Risk it all - trade the grace of God for greener pastures.
Archie Karas is considered by many to be the greatest
gambler with the longest winning streak of all time. Between 1992 and 1995 he turned $50 into more
than $40 million…only to lose it all later that year. The warning here, however, is that
of losing your soul. Betting your life
and losing your soul – for eternity.
The great theologian Kenny Rogers said it well when he sang,
“You've got to know when to hold 'em,
Know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away, And know when to run.” Friend, you gotta know when to run. And you gotta know where to run. Run to God.
We are constantly faced with what 1 John 2:16 calls, the Lust of the
flesh…Lust of the eyes…Pride of life. While I wish there was an escape, there simply is no place to hide from the onslaught of visual,
emotional, and physical temptations. And
our will to resist is often weak. This is nothing
new – Adam, Moses, Cain, Jacob, Joseph, Hamaan, Samson, David, Peter, Judas,
Ananias, Sapphira, all struggled with a weak will. But we can learn...When we don’t control our will – Our will
controls us. We’ll either take control
of our sin or our sin will take control of us.
What
will it profit a man…
What good is it if you gain the world and lose your soul?
Why gamble what’s most valuable for what’s worthless?
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