Samson--1
WHEN STRONG MEN ARE WEAK
I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30
- SAMSON WAS AN INCREDIBLY STRONG MAN WITH A DANGEROUSLY WEAK WILL.
ATTITUDES THAT MAKE STRONG MEN WEAK
- LUST: I WANT IT.
Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife. Judges 14:1-2
- ENTITLEMENT: I DESERVE IT.
Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along. Judges 14:8-9
- PRIDE: I CAN HANDLE IT.
Now his father went down to see the woman. And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms. Judges 14:10
feast: mishteh(mish-teh'); a feast or party; a celebration or occasion for drinking.
ATTITUDES THAT MAKE WEAK MEN STRONG
- I WANT GOD
- I DESERVE DEATH
- I CAN'T HANDLE ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD
...My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
SAMSON--2
EMOTIONS THAT TAKE STRONG MEN DOWN
- SAMSON WAS EMOTION DRIVEN NOT SPIRIT LED.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. Galatians 5:16-17
"Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet." For three days they could not give the answer. Judges 14:14
Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle." Judges 14:18
TWO EMOTIONS THAT TAKE STRONG MEN DOWN
1) SAMSON BURNED WITH ANGER.
...[Samson] went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house. And Samson's wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding. Judges 14:19-20
2) SAMSON WAS FILLED WITH PRIDE.
Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. with a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men." Judges 15:15-16
SAMSON IS IN NEED
- IF YOU LET YOUR NEED DRIVE YOU TO GOD, GOD WILL MEET YOUR DEEPEST NEED.
Because he was very thristy, he cried out to the Lord, "You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thrist and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. Judges 15:18-19
SAMSON--3
SMALL STEPS TOWARD BIG DESTRUCTION
Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines. Judges 15:19-20
- SAMSON DIDN'T RUN HIS LIFE ALL AT ONCE. HE RUINED IT ONE STEP AT A TIME.
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitue. He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him." Judges 16:1-2
SAMSON'S SMALL STEPS
TOWARD HIS BIG DESTRUCTION
1) SAMSON TAUNTED HIS ENEMY.
But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces hebron. Judges 16:3
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful taht you don't fall! 1 Corinthians 10:12
2) SAMSON RATIONALIZED THE SAME OLD SIN.
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of sorek whose name was Delilah. Judges 16:5
The rulers of the Philistines went to [Delilah] and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him..." Judges 16:5
Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. Judges 16:15-16 (17-18)
Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Judges 16:19
3) SAMSON ASSUMED HIS DISOBEDIENCE WOULD NEVER COST HIM.
Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. Judges 16:20-21
- WHERE ARE YOU STEPPING AWAY FROM GOD?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. Judges 16:22
SAMSON--4
FAILING FORWARD
- A MAN'S GREATEST FEAR IS FAILURE AND GREATEST PAIN IS REGRET.
SAMSON'S STORY SHOWS US
- A FAILURE IS AN EVENT, NEVER A PERSON.
Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." When the people saw [Samson], they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain." While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." so they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them... Judges 16:23-25
TWO REPONSES TO FAILURE
- THE NATURAL RESPONSE IS REMORSE.
- THE BETTER RESPONSE IS REPENTANCE.
WHEN A MAN IS DOWN, HE'S NOT OUT!
- EVEN IN OUR FAILURES, GOD CAN STILL ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES.
Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived. Judges 16:29-30
MOVING FORWARD
1) WHAT PILLARS ARE YOU PUSHING DOWN?
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
2) HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT?
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again... Proverbs 24:16
No comments:
Post a Comment